“I didn’t call PM Narendra Modi a terrorist; he is ‘facilitating terrorism’”: Mallikarjun Kharge after uproar

Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday clarified his “terrorist” remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying it was not meant literally but referred to what he described as attempts to “silence people.”

The Indian National Congress president said his comments were about the alleged misuse of central agencies to intimidate political opponents. Speaking in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi, Kharge accused the prime minister of enabling a climate of “tax terrorism” through raids by agencies like the CBI and Income Tax Department.

“I did not call him a terrorist. I said he is facilitating actions that scare people and silence voices,” Kharge said, clarifying remarks he had made earlier in Chennai.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party has approached the Election Commission of India, calling the statement “grossly derogatory” and a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. The party argued that such remarks amount to personal vilification and could interfere with free electoral choice.

Earlier, during a press conference in Chennai alongside K. C. Venugopal, Kharge had accused the prime minister of “terrorising” political parties by misusing government machinery. He later clarified that his use of the term was figurative, referring to alleged intimidation rather than a literal accusation.

The BJP strongly criticised the remarks. Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused the Congress of disrespecting democratic institutions, while Union minister Piyush Goyal demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin.

Other BJP leaders, including Amit Malviya and Sambit Patra, also condemned the statement, rejecting Kharge’s clarification and alleging it was a deliberate attack rather than a slip of the tongue.