Mallikarjun Kharge Targets PM Modi With ‘Terrorist’ Remark; Piyush Goyal Calls It Insult to 140 Crore Indians

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge triggered a major political controversy on Tuesday after referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "terrorist" during a press conference, before later clarifying that he meant the Prime Minister was "terrorising people and political parties" and not that he was a terrorist.

Kharge's remark during attack on AIADMK-BJP alliance

The controversy began while Kharge was criticising the AIADMK for aligning with the BJP ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly polls. During his remarks, he questioned how a party that invokes leaders such as C.N. Annadurai could partner with the BJP and, in that context, used the word "terrorist" for the Prime Minister.

"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," M Kharge said.

Kharge also asserted that the Congress-DMK alliance would continue to push welfare-driven governance in the state.

"The Congress-DMK alliance will continue to deliver welfare, inclusive growth, quality, education, accessible healthcare," he underlined.

Congress chief says his statement was misunderstood

Soon after the remark drew attention, Kharge was asked by a reporter to place his statement in context. He then moved to clarify that he had not intended to label the Prime Minister a terrorist, but rather accuse him of using institutions and political pressure to intimidate opponents.

"Can you please put the statement in a context," M Kharge was asked at the same press conference.

"No, no," Kharge began clarifying his statement.

"He (PM Modi) is terrorising people and political parties. I never said he is a terrorist...What I mean, I want to clarify, is that Modi always threatens. The institutions like ED, I-T and CBI are in his hands. He wants to take delimitation also into his hands. Therefore I said , in that context, he is terrorising people and political parties. I never said he is a terrorist," Kharge said.

His clarification came amid an already heated political atmosphere, just two days after PM Modi, in his address to the nation, accused the Congress and other opposition parties of committing "foeticide" by defeating a women's reservation bill in Parliament and state assemblies.

BJP hits back, calls Congress an 'Urban Naxal' party

The BJP reacted sharply to Kharge's remarks and dismissed the clarification, accusing the Congress of repeatedly using inflammatory language against the Prime Minister.

"The Congress is an "Urban Naxal" party; that is why Kharge employs abusive language against the Prime Minister. This is not the first time this has happened. The repeated use of venomous rhetoric, including death threats, makes one thing abundantly clear: the Congress party's "remote control" lies in the hands of anti-national forces," BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said in a video message.

The ruling party treated the original remark as a deliberate personal attack and escalated its criticism of the Congress-DMK alliance.

Piyush Goyal demands apology from Congress and DMK

Union Minister Piyush Goyal also condemned the statement and called for an apology from senior Congress and DMK leaders, saying the remark insulted both the Prime Minister and voters across the country.

"I feel ashamed that the Congress and the DMK have stooped so low that they are insulting the Prime Minister who is democratically elected by the people of India, by calling him a terrorist. Rahul Gandhi and MK Stalin must apologise for this downright insult to the Prime Minister as well as the people of India who have voted him in," Goyal posted on X.

He further said the comment amounted to an insult to the public, especially in Tamil Nadu, where the Congress and DMK are allied.

"The Congress and DMK have humiliated 140 crore Indians, including our 8 crore Tamil brothers and sisters, with this statement. This unholy alliance is effectively calling Indians terrorists by targeting the Prime Minister. Such personal attacks against the PM won't reverse their electoral fate that has already been sealed by the anger of the people who have suffered their misrule," the Minister added.