Mallikarjun Kharge was addressing a public meeting at Ron in Gadag district, as part of the party's campaign for the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka
After Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday likened Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a 'poisonous snake' that draw strong rebuke from the BJP which said "hate is coming out" with such comments, the former later took to Twitter to clarify his remarks and issue an apology.
"BJP's ideology is divisive, hostile and full of hatred and prejudice towards the poor and Dalits. I discussed the politics of hatred and malice. My statement was neither for PM Modi personally nor for any other person but for the ideology he represents. Our fight with PM Modi is not a personal fight. 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.," he said in a tweet in Hindi.
He further said, "I have always followed the norms and traditions of political correctness towards friends and opponents and will do so till the last breath of my life. I don't make fun of individuals and their problems like people in high positions because I have also seen and suffered the pain and suffering of the poor and downtrodden. For five decades, I have always been opposed to the divisive ideology of BJP and RSS and their leaders. My political fight was, is and always will be against his politics."
What comments did Kharge make?
Addressing a public meeting at Ron in Gadag district, as part of the party's campaign for the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka, Kharge said: "don't make a mistake. Modi is like a poisonous snake. If you say, 'no, it's not poisonous, let's lick it and find out.' Don't go to lick it. If you lick, you die."
Kharge further added, "(if you think that) no, no, this is not poison because Modi has given it, good man Prime Minister has given it, let's try it and lick it'--if you lick that poison then you will sleep forever".
Hitting out at Kharge for his remarks, Sitharaman said "hate is coming out" and sought the leader's apology. Another Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said as the Congress' desperation grows, its "lies and abuses" for Modi are increasing.
"Just recently some Congie leaders want to see our PM dead, some mock him and now @kharge abuses him. Mark my words, people of Karnataka will never forget, forgive or vote this bunch of Cong hoodlums who have normalized this type of vicious abuse of our PM and result will only be even stronger PM because of respect and love of people who he serves steadfastly," he tweeted.
BJP IT department chief Amit Malviya, who also shared the video where Kharge made those comments, on Twitter, said, "Now Congress President Kharge calls Prime Minister Modi ‘poisonous snake’… What started with Sonia Gandhi’s ‘maut ka saudagar’ (merchant of death), and we know how it ended, the Congress continues to plummet to new depths. The desperation shows Congress is losing ground in Karnataka and knows it".
Kharge later told reporters he only said the BJP was like a snake, and that party's ideology is like a poison. "If you support that ideology and lick (try) it, death is certain."
(With inputs from PTI)