Indian National Congress Leader Accused of Mischaracterizing Prime Minister Modi as Terrorist, Sparks Electoral Commission Probe

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge Under Fire for Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "Terrorist"

Tamil Nadu, India - In a controversy that has sparked outrage and calls for an apology, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has been slammed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "terrorist" during a press conference on the last day of campaigning in Tamil Nadu.

Kharge later clarified that he meant to say that Prime Minister Modi misuses central agencies "to terrorise" his opponents, allegedly referring to the use of institutions like the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Income Tax Department, and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against opposition parties.

The BJP has filed a "strong complaint" with the Election Commission over Kharge's remarks and sought an apology from him. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused Kharge of violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and called his statement a "dangerous and unprecedented attack on democratic institutions."

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Kharge's remarks sparked a heated debate, with several BJP leaders criticizing him for using "indecent language" and disrespecting the office of the Prime Minister. Union Minister Piyush Goyal condemned Kharge's statement, saying it was a "downright insult" to 140 crore Indians and the 8 crore citizens of Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu BJP leader K. Annamalai demanded a public apology from Kharge and suggested that he consider retiring from active politics. Another BJP leader, Gourav Vallabh, alleged that Kharge's remarks were scripted and warned that voters would respond strongly in the upcoming elections.

In a surprising turn of events, DMK MP Kanimozhi backed Kharge's remarks about the misuse of central agencies, stating that there have been raids by the ED, Income Tax, and CBI against opposition parties. Congress leader KC Venugopal also came to Kharge's defence, accusing the BJP of amplifying the issue unnecessarily and attempting to divert attention from substantive concerns.

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Tamil Nadu will go to the polls on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4. The controversy surrounding Kharge's remarks is likely to impact the election outcome, with the BJP seeking to capitalize on the issue to discredit the Congress-DMK alliance.