"Clarified my statement in Chennai": Mallikearjun Kharge on 'terrorist' remark against PM Modi

Bidar (Karnataka) [India], April 22 : Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday addressed the ongoing controversy regarding his recent remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that he has already provided a clarification on his statement.

Talking to the reporters, Mallikarjun Kharge said, "I clarified my statement in Chennai."

Meanwhile, BJP leaders slammed Mallikarjun Kharge over his calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi "terrorist" during a press conference on the last day of campaigning in Tamil Nadu, with the Congress President later clarifying that what he meant was that the Prime Minister misuses central agencies "to terrorise" his opponents.

BJP filed a "strong complaint" with the Election Commission over Kharge's remarks and also sought an apology from him.

On Tuesday, Kharge toldin Kalaburagi that he did not call the Prime Minister "a terrorist" but spoke about the victimisation of political opponents by the Modi government.

Kharge alleged that the Prime Minister "is terrorising politicians" and "tax terrorism is happening".

"I did not speak against the PM. PM is terrorising politicians, candidates and regarding this, I said that tax terrorism is happening, ED is conducting raids, Income Tax Dept is conducting raids, CBI is conducting raids...this terrorism is being facilitated by the PM. I did not call him a terrorist...he is scaring people. He is trying to silence people through raids and attempting to defeat them in elections. This is what I said in Chennai," he said.

Earlier, Kharge courted controversy on the last day of the election campaign in Tamil Nadu.

Highlighting opposition unity during the defeat of the Delimitation Bill, which had also been linked to the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill, the Congress President criticised the AIADMK for supporting the BJP and labelled PM Modi a "terrorist who does not believe in equality."

However, after criticism, Kharge later clarified his remarks, stating that he intended to refer to Modi as someone who "terrorises political opponents" rather than calling him a terrorist.

"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," Kharge said in his clarification.

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