NEW DELHI: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh along with senior Congress leaders has complained to President Ram Nath Kovind against the "threatening and intimidating" language that PM Narendra Modi used against party leaders during the Karnataka poll campaign. "The President may caution the PM from using such unwarranted, threatening and intimidating language used against Congress party and its leaders," former PM Manmohan Singh said in his letter to the President dated May 13.
A copy of letter, also signed by the leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, party leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and several other leaders was released to the media on Monday.
The Congress also submitted a video clip of PM Modi's speech made in Hubli on May 6 while campaigning in the Karnataka assembly polls to the President. In the clip, the PM is allegedly warning the Congress leaders not to cross their limits or else they will have to pay a price.
Noting that Modi's threat deserves to be condemned, Singh further said this cannot be the language of the PM of a country of 1.3 billion people. "Such discourse is unacceptable conduct. The words used are menacing and intimidating with intent to insult and provoke breach of trust," said Singh, adding that "the Congress and its leaders would not be cowed down by such threats."
Singh told the President that PM Modi had violated the spirit of his oath of office by using such language against the main opposition party.