Home Minister Amit Shah today issued a strongly worded statement, saying Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge had “breached every standard of public conduct and brought shame to the nation” after the latter referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “terrorist” at a press conference in Chennai.
“Every day, the Congress is hitting new lows in its demeanour, breaking its own record in lowering the standard of public discourse,” Shah said. “This insult to the foremost leader of the nation is an insult to the millions of people who love and support Modi Ji. Calling a leader like Modi Ji a terrorist, who has completely curbed terrorism in the last 12 years, is highly condemnable. Every time the Congress hurls abuses at Modi Ji, it is the people of India who answer them. This time too, the people will respond.”
Kharge made the remark while questioning the AIADMK’s decision to ally with the BJP ahead of the Tamil Nadu polls.
Invoking the legacies of Dravidian and Dalit political icons, he said: “How these AIADMK people, who themselves put the photo of Annadurai, how can they join Modi? He is a terrorist. His party won’t believe in equality and justice. These people are joining with them; it means they are weakening democracy, they are weakening the philosophy of Annadurai, Kamaraj, Periyar, Kaliagnar, Baba Saheb Ambedkar.”
Details to follow.