New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS): Congress on Monday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become "helpless" and was not in a position to protect Dalits from cow vigilantes.

The Congress reaction came following Modi's remark on Sunday in Telangana in which he said: "I want to tell all such people (cow vigilantes), if you want to attack, attack me, not my Dalit brothers. If you want to shoot, shoot me, not my Dalit brothers."

Leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said: "Prime Minister came to power in the name of the poor, but now he is not able to protect them. Rather than replying in the Parliament, he is making a statements outside." 

"The Prime Minister has become helpless and weak. In this helplessness, he is asking to shoot him. He knows he can't control them," he added.

Modi on Sunday called for protecting Dalits and for isolating and punishing fake "gau rakshaks" (cow protectors), saying they were destroying the country.

His remarks were in reference to the flogging of Dalits by cow vigilantes in Gujarat's Una town on July 11, that has evoked widespread condemnation.