While attacking Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge over his “poisonous snake” remark on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Karnataka BJP MLA Basanagouda Yatnal called Congress MP and former party president Sonia Gandhi a “Vishkanya” (venomous maiden). This comes as the ruling BJP attacked Kharge demanding his apology. The “poison” barbs in Karnataka electioneering come as addressing a public meeting at Ron in Gadag district on Thursday, Kharge told the people: “Don’t make a mistake. Modi is like a poisonous snake.”


Attacking the Congress over Kharge’s comment, Karnataka BJP MLA Basanagouda Yatnal said: “The whole world has accepted PM Modi. America, once upon a time, refused to give him a Visa. They later rolled out a red carpet and welcomed Modi. Now, they (Congress) are comparing him to a cobra snake and saying he will spew venom. Is Sonia Gandhi a venomous woman (visha kanye)? She worked with China and Pakistan as their agent”, as quoted in a report by India Today.






Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala attacked the BJP saying, “Facing a complete rout in the assembly elections, the BJP leadership is frustrated to the core and is hurling filth and muck, which is the product of their ugly character and dirty mindset of denigrating and insulting the Congress leadership. They have lost all sense of propriety, political balance and even a remote iota of decency and decorum.”






He alleged that the MLA was instructed by PM Modi to make the comment: “Instructed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and supported by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, BJP leader and Modi Ji's personal favourite Basangouda Patil Yatnal has stooped to the lowest by calling UPA chairperson and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi as “Visha Kanye” and “Agent of China and Pakistan”.”


“The BJP leadership and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have made a profession of abusing the Nehru Gandhi Family. PM Modi himself has, in the past, called Sonia Gandhi as “Congress Ki Vidhwa” and even used filthy language like calling her “Jersey Cow”," the AICC general secretary in-charge for Karnataka remarked.


The Congress leader claimed that the sad part is that all of this has the “tacit approval of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, J P Nadda and Basavaraj Bommai”.


Surjewala demanded the MLA be suspended from the BJP saying, “If Prime Minister has even an iota of decency or dignity, he should immediately expel Basangouda Patil Yatnal from the Bharatiya Janata Party.”


“Otherwise, it will be proved that the debased, ugly and deranged remarks being made by Yatnal against Sonia Gandhi are at the instance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai," he said.


The Congress also demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai tender an unconditional public apology to Sonia Gandhi as also to the Congress leadership.






Congress General Secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal tweeted, “Every election, they hurl new abuses to insult Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji, who has led her entire life with utmost dignity and grace. BJP continues to stoop to new lows, with their filthy language against our leaders. Modi ji, do you endorse these words? Yadha raja thada Praja.”


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As a row erupted, Mallikarjun Kharge backtracked from his poisonous snake remark saying that his intention was not to hurt anyone’s feelings and the statement was not for PM Modi, but for the ideology he represents.


“My intention was not to hurt anyone’s feelings, if knowingly or unknowingly someone’s feelings were hurt, it was never my intention,” Kharge said in a series of tweets in Hindi.


“BJP’s ideology is divisive, disharmonious, full of hatred and prejudiced towards the poor and Dalits. I discussed this politics of hatred and malice. My statement was neither for PM Modi personally nor for any other person, but for the ideology he represents,” he said.


“Our fight with PM Modi is not personal. It is an ideological battle. My intention was not to hurt anyone’s feelings and if knowingly or unknowingly someone’s feelings were hurt, then it was never my intention and nor has it been the conduct of my long political life,” he further mentioned.


Dismissing the Congress President’s clarification, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said he was trying to wriggle out.