New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge found himself in the firing line of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, as Union Ministers, MPs and party leaders launched a blistering attack at him for calling the Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "terrorist".

The political storm arising over Kharge's comments, saw Union Ministers and leaders from the BJP launching a fierce and swift response at the Congress and its Chief.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal, while taking a strong objection to the highly deplorable remarks, demanded an outright apology and warned that such personal attacks on the Prime Minister won't go unpunished in the elections.

"I feel ashamed that the Congress and the DMK have stooped so low that they are insulting the Prime Minister who is democratically elected by the people of India, by calling him a terrorist. Rahul Gandhi and M.K. Stalin must apologise for this downright insult to the Prime Minister Modi as well as the people of India who have voted him in," Union Minister Goyal said, taking to his official X account.

The Union Minister said that objectionable words against the Prime Minister was an insult to 140 crore Indians, including Tamil brothers and sisters, and said that such personal attacks against the Prime Minister Modi won't reverse their electoral fate, that has already been sealed by the anger of the people who have suffered their misrule.

BJP MP Sambit Patra called out the "abusive mindset" of Congress and asserted that this was not a random controversy but a tactfully planned Congress gameplan to attack and humiliate the Prime Minister, ahead of elections.

He also warned that Congress, not learning from its mistakes, will have to pay the price in the ensuing Assembly polls.

"The words chosen by Kharge for PM Modi is highly condemnable and shows the vitriolic mindset of Congress party. This is not a slip of tongue. Their clarification on the issue, if any, means nothing because it's not a one-off incident but a well thought-out and planned Congress strategy. For past few days, Rahul Gandhi and other top Congress leaders have been making abusive and insulting remarks against the Prime Minister," Patra said.

He added that Tuesday's incident has breached all limits, as Mallikarjun Kharge, at the insistence of Rahul Gandhi, called the Prime Minister a 'terrorist'.

Issuing a video statement, the BJP MP said, "This is same Congress which is seen standing with separatists, this is the same party which addresses terrorist Osama Bin Laden with respect, which describes radical preacher Zakir Naik "apostle of peace" but finds country's Prime Minister as terrorist."

Highlighting the series of welfare schemes launched by the Narendra Modi government, including Mudra Yojana, Awas Yojana, free ration to countrymen and the push for 33 per cent reservation to women, Patra asked, "Is this the character of Congress party?"

Warning the grand old party of biting the dust in the ensuing polls, he said, "The way Congress has been making disparaging remarks on PM Modi, it must remember that whenever Congress abused the Prime Minister, it paid a heavy price and this time also, the people of country will give it a befitting reply."

The controversy emanated from Kharge's statement made during a press conference in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday.

Addressing the press, Kharge said, "How these AIADMK people, who themselves put the photo of Annadurai, how can they join PM Modi? He is a terrorist. His party won't believe in equality and justice. These people are joining with them; it means they are weakening democracy, they are weakening the philosophy of Annadurai, Kamaraj, Periyar, Kaliagnar, Baba Saheb Ambedkar."

Later in a clarification, the Congress President said, “I did not mean that PM Modi is a terrorist. What I meant was that people are being terrorised, and institutions and agencies are being used to intimidate them."

--IANS