New Delhi, Oct 13 (HT) : Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmad said here on Sunday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had lowered the dignity of the office by “behaving like a sadak-chhaap neta (a low-level leader)”.

Addressing the media at the Chandigarh Press Club, the Congress affairs incharge of Haryana said Modi was making “all kinds of statements” during campaigning for the BJP. “The Prime Minister is for the country. Whether he speaks in Parliament or at poll rallies, he has to restrain himself,” Ahmad said, giving examples of Modi’s recent statements on ceasefire violations by Pakistan. Ahmad said there were media reports again of ceasefire violations by Pakistan on Sunday. He said the statements were read internationally, “and undermine the position of the PM”.

He also gave example of the controversial Robert Vadra land deal case wherein Modi had urged the Election Commission to take note of alleged irregularities and violation of poll code. The EC had found that the approval to the deal was not during the poll code, and had given a clean chit to the Hooda government. The Congress had thereafter demanded an apology from Modi.

Ahmad took potshots at Modi for statements at different rallies in Haryana and Maharashtra wherein Modi had stated that he would “make the state number one”: “He should first clarify which state he is talking about. He also stressed that Haryana was “far better on various parameters” than Gujarat, Modi’s home state where he remained CM for over a decade.

To a question on the party showing the door to 40-odd leaders contesting against the party’s official candidates, Ahmad said there were over 2,000 applicants for 90 tickets. “These are a handful of people who have gone against the party. We have also asked candidates to give a list of workers who try to sabotage their prospects.”