Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Apr 22: A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation led by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday approached the Election Commission of India (ECI), seeking strict action against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over his “terrorist” remark targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The delegation, which also included Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and Arjun Ram Meghwal, along with BJP national general secretary Arun Singh, submitted a complaint to the poll panel, terming the remark “outrageous” and “an insult to the democratic mandate”.
Addressing reporters after meeting the full Election Commission, Sitharaman said Kharge’s statement was condemnable and unacceptable, particularly when made in an election-bound state like Tamil Nadu.
“It is an insult not just to the Prime Minister, but to the people of India who have repeatedly elected him. Such language undermines the democratic process itself,” she said.
Accusing Congress of acting out of “deep hatred” and political frustration amid Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, Sitharaman said the BJP had urged the Commission to treat the matter seriously and take firm action.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju described Kharge’s statement as a “disgusting act” and said the BJP had demanded the “strictest action”, including a direction to Kharge and the Congress to apologise to the nation.
He said the Election Commission gave the delegation a patient hearing and assured appropriate action.
The controversy erupted after Kharge, during a press conference in Chennai, accused Prime Minister Modi of “terrorising” political parties and people through alleged misuse of government machinery and central agencies.
While he initially referred to Modi as a “terrorist” while criticising the AIADMK-BJP alliance, Kharge later clarified he did not mean the term literally, saying he was referring to the Prime Minister “terrorising the democratic fabric of the country”.
“I never said he is a terrorist in the literal sense. I meant he is terrorising people and opposition parties through misuse of power,” Kharge clarified.