GADAG: Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday likened Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a poisonous snake, drawing the BJP's ire.
Addressing a public meeting at Ron in Gadag district, as part of the party's campaign for the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka, he said: "Don't make a mistake. Modi is like a poisonous snake. If you say, 'no, it's not poisonous. let's lick it and find out. ' Don't go to lick it. If you lick, you die."
Earlier addressing the rally at Naregal and Ron, Kharge said, “This election is an important one because if we win in Karnataka, we will win the country. They have disqualified Rahul Gandhi. Even Indira Gandhi was disqualified earlier in 77 but in 1979, she won the elections from Chikkamagaluru and in 1989 we got an absolute majority in the entire country. If Ron assembly contestant GS Patil wins, our government will come to power in the state, here change of power in the state means change in the country. Thousands of people are here amid the hot sun. The present government is a 40% commission government. They should be taught a lesson. Mann ki Baat, Ghar ki Baat talks about girls committing suicide. But we are not talking about those who got bribed."
Kharge went on hitting the BJP government and asked, “Where is ED, CBI and Income Tax Department! There is so much bribery in Karnataka but still no action has been taken even though letters have been written to the President, the Governor and the Prime Minister”.
Reacting on 70 years achievement Kharge said that congress had laid down the foundation of democracy, so a tea seller has become prime minister and the son of a labourer like me has become the leader of the opposition party.
Kharge further added, "(if you think that) No, no, this is not a poison because Modi has given it, 'good man' Prime Minister has given it, let's try it and lick it'. If you lick that poison then you will sleep forever.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai took serious exception to Kharge's remark and charged that it showed the Congress party's culture. He said, "We give respect to all and we also respect Kharge as he is a senior leader. Such kind of remark is not suitable for a leader of his stature."
BJP IT department chief Amit Malviya, who also shared the video where Kharge made those comments, on Twitter, said: "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".
Kharge later told reporters he only said the BJP was like a snake, and that party's ideology is like a poison.
"If you support that ideology and lick (try) it, death is certain. I did not speak against him (Modi) because I have already said that I never make personal comments," he said.
(With inputs from ENS)
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