Mallikarjun Kharge compares Modi to a 'poisonous snake'; faces backlash

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, on Thursday, compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a poisonous snake but later claimed that his statements were not directed at the PM.

During an election campaign in Kalaburagi, the Congress leader said in Kannada, "PM Modi is like a 'poisonous snake'; you might think it is poison or not. If you lick it, you are dead."

The statement attracted widespread criticism from senior BJP leaders. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan claimed that Kharge used such words to appease his political masters, while Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, "there is poison in the mind of Kharge."

"There is a poison in the mind of Kharge. It is a prejudiced mind towards PM Modi and BJP. This kind of thinking comes because of desperation as they are unable to fight him politically and they are seeing that their ship is sinking. People will teach them a lesson," news agency ANI quoted the CM as saying.

BJP leader from Karnataka and Union minister Shobha Karandlaje said Congress stooped to a new low with this remark and demanded an apology from the Congress chief.

"Mallikarjun Kharge is a senior leader and president of Congress. What does he want to tell the world? Narendra Modi is the prime minister of our country and the whole world respects him, and using such language for PM shows the level to which Congress has stooped. We want him (Kharge) to apologise to the country."

Later, Kharge attempted a feeble clarification saying his words were not meant for PM Modi but for the ideology of the BJP.

“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.