Karnataka polls: Kharge calls PM Modi 'poisonous snake', later clarifies; BJP reacts

Kharge who was addressing a poll rally in his constituency Kalaburagi said PM Modi was "like a poisonous snake", adding that if people "lick it, they would die". The Congress chief later clarified that his comment was not directed at the PM personally but towards the BJP as a whole.

Kalaburagi (Karnataka): Triggering yet another controversy around namecalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said on camera that Modi was "like a poisonous snake", adding that if people "lick it, they would die". Kharge was speaking in Kalaburagi, his constituency in the poll-bound state of Karnataka.

The Congress chief later clarified that his comment was not directed at the PM personally but towards the BJP as a whole. "It wasn't meant for PM Modi, what I meant was BJP's ideology is 'like a snake'. I never said this personally for PM Modi, what I said was their ideology is like a snake and if you try to touch it, your death is certain," he said.

On April 24, Kharge slammed the BJP and alleged that some parties and leaders in the country were trying to mix politics and religion. Kharge said, "Politics and religion should not be mixed. Some parties and leaders are trying to mix them these days. Different people in one community can like different parties. Individuals in one household can have different preferences. We should not tend to club them together. Such ideas are regressive and weaken our Democracy and Constitution. My advice to BJP leaders is to not play one community against another for the greed of votes."

He added, "It is an important election for us not only from the viewpoint of the state but even for the country. Karnataka is generally regarded as a pro-development state and has progressive thoughts, and the Congress party brought several innovative development schemes here. In terms of administration, it was one of the few well-governed states in the country.

Meanwhile, BJP's Amit Malviya attacked the Congress chief and claimed that the party was clearly losing ground in Karnataka. He tweeted, “Now Congress President Kharge calls Prime Minister Modi ‘poisonous snake’. What started with Sonia Gandhi’s ‘maut ka saudagar’, 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.” Karnataka goes to polls on May 10 and results will be out on May 13.