BJP Hits Back at Kharge’s ‘Poisonous Snake’ Jibe at PM Modi, Calls It ‘Turning Point in Karnataka Elections’

Days ahead of the crucial Karnataka assembly elections, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday landed himself in trouble as he called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “poisonous snake”, drawing a massive backlash from the BJP. After receiving criticism and sensing the negative impact of his statement during the poll season, the 80-year-old leader clarified that the remark was made on the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ideology.

Addressing a public meeting in Kalaburgi district, as part of the Congress’s campaign for the May 10 Assembly elections, Kharge was heard saying, “PM Modi is like a ‘poisonous snake’, you might think it is poison or not. If you lick it, you are dead…”

Issuing a clarification later, Kharge said, “It was not meant for PM Modi, what I meant was BJP’s ideology is ‘like a snake’. I never said this personally for PM Modi, what I said was their ideology is like a snake and if you try to touch it, your death is certain.”

Meanwhile, the BJP has launched a full-frontal attack on the Congress as the remark by Kharge comes just two days before PM Modi’s whirlwind campaign in the poll-bound Karnataka with over 20 rallies and road shows till May 6.

News18 has learnt that the BJP was already planning to raise the earlier remarks of the Congress – ‘Modi Teri Kabar Khudegi’ during the PM’s campaign to highlight how the grand old party wishes death upon the Prime Minister, and the latest remark could serve as a perfect launch-pad for Modi.

“The latest remark by Kharge shows the mindset of the Congress in attacking the Prime Minister with the vilest of abuse. The people of Karnataka will not accept such language by Congress and give a befitting answer to such a campaign with less than two weeks left in the campaign,” a senior BJP leader looking at the Karnataka campaign told News18.

Notably, this is not the first time when Kharge made such remarks on PM Modi. During the Gujarat elections campaign, he had also linked PM Modi to “Raavan Ke Sar” (the heads of demon Ravana) which had proved counter-productive with BJP milking the comment during the Gujarat campaign that saw a rousing win for the Bharatiya Janata Party. Such personal attacks – “Maut Ke Saudagar” and “Neech Aadmi” – on PM Modi by Congress leaders have always hurt the chances of the grand old party.

The party is now hoping that the current remark of Kharge in Karnataka will turn around the narrative of the election in the key southern state where the BJP is facing the challenge of repeating power. “This will be a turning point in Karnataka elections. People here do not accept crass personal comments against anyone. Let alone our most loved PM. Just wait and watch how the last nail on the Congress coffin will be hammered on May 10,” BJP leader and Karnataka MP Tejashwi Surya said. Other top BJP leaders have also attacked Kharge.

“The PM is a popular leader with mass appeal and the electorate does not like personal abuses against him. Under Modi’s term, record number of benefits have been given to people in form of rations, houses, toilets, cylinders and money under PM Kisan Nidhi. Does the Congress think all these are poison?” a senior government official argued.

Another BJP leader said they will go to the electorate asking them to decide whether the benefits they got from the Modi government were a boon and savior for them or “poison” as the Congress President has alluded to.

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