New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a fierce counter-offensive on Tuesday after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “terrorist.”

Senior BJP leaders described Kharge’s remark as “highly condemnable,” “shameful,” and a reflection of “electoral frustration.”

Speaking to IANS, Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra accused the Congress of shielding extremists during its tenure in power. “When Congress was in power, terrorist attacks occurred daily across the country. In major cities like Delhi and Mumbai, jihadis would strike whenever they want. The Congress views with suspicion anyone who works to dismantle jihadi networks. The language Kharge has employed makes it abundantly clear that the Congress has lost all sense of dignity and has run out of substantive issues,” Mishra said.

He also targeted Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal, alleging that Kejriwal was attempting to evade investigation in the liquor scam. “He knows he will end up back in jail. He tried to turn the Delhi High Court into a stage for his theatrics, but the Court thwarted all his efforts,” Mishra added.

Meanwhile, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari, speaking in Siliguri, claimed Kharge’s remark was made at the behest of Rahul Gandhi. “By calling the Prime Minister a terrorist, Congress is effectively labelling 140 crore Indians as terrorists. The Congress never calls Pakistan a terrorist state, nor does it label Hafiz Saeed a terrorist. This shows the party has lost its mental equilibrium and its ideology is rooted in Urban Naxalism,” Bhandari said.

BJP national spokesperson RP Singh also condemned Kharge’s statement, saying it insulted the 140 crore Indians who elected Narendra Modi as Prime Minister. “This reflects the frustration within Congress over their impending electoral defeat,” he remarked.

Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal, addressing reporters in Bhubaneswar, said, “Coming from such a senior leader—and that too as Congress president—such a statement is utterly shameful. Politics must remain within the bounds of decency.”

In a united response, BJP leaders asserted that Kharge’s remark was not only an insult to the Prime Minister but also an affront to the democratic mandate of the people, who have elected a BJP government at the Centre for the third consecutive time.

–IANS

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