‘Attacking India?’: Smriti Irani hits out at Mallikarjun Kharge over ‘Modi poisonous snake’ remark

Union minister Smriti Irani on Thursday hit out at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge over his controversial remark calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a ‘poisonous snake’. According to the minister, Kharge's statement is a “reflection of what the Gandhi family feels about PM Modi”.

“He (Kharge) gave clarification that he was attacking BJP's ideology. BJP's ideology is nation first. So is he saying he was not attacking PM Modi, rather he was attacking India?” Irani questioned.

Earlier in the day while addressing a public meeting in Karnataka's Kalaburagi district, Kharge said, “PM Modi is like a 'poisonous snake', you might think it is poison or not. If you lick it, you are dead.”

Also read: ‘Kharge’s mind is poisonous': CM Bommai slams Cong chief

However, as he began receiving a massive backlash, the Congress president clarified that his remark was meant for BJP and for PM Modi.

“BJP's ideology is divisive, hostile, and full of hatred and prejudice towards the poor and Dalits. I discussed the politics of hatred and malice. My statement was neither for PM Modi personally nor for any other person,” Kharge wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, BJP's IT cell chief Amit Malviya said that the opposition party is stooping to a new low every day. “Now Congress President Kharge calls Prime Minister Modi ‘poisonous snake’. What started with Sonia Gandhi’s ‘maut ka saudagar’, and we know how it ended, the Congress continues to plummet to new depths. The desperation shows Congress is losing ground in Karnataka and knows it,” he tweeted.

Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman also expressed shock over Kharge's statement. Taking to Twitter, she wrote: “Shocking that Kharge ji, also the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha speaks so about the @PMOIndia. He is now trying to wriggle out. Hate is what is coming out. Kharge ji should apologise.”