ECI issues 24-hour ultimatum to Mallikarjun Kharge over 'terrorist' remark against PM Modi

New Delhi [India], April 22 (ANI): The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday issued a stern 24-hour ultimatum to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, demanding an explanation for his controversial "terrorist" remark directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the high-decibel Tamil Nadu Assembly election campaign.
The move follows a high-level delegation of the BJP, including Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Kiren Rijiju, meeting with the full commission to demand "strictest action" for what they termed a gross violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
The timing of the ultimatum is critical, as Tamil Nadu is set to head to the polls on April 23, 2026. With the state in the final hours of the "silence period" before voting, the ECI is under pressure to ensure that the campaign remains issue-based.
The controversy erupted on the last day of Tamil Nadu election campaigning, when the Congress President criticised the AIADMK for supporting the BJP and labelled PM Modi a 'terrorist who does not believe in equality.'
When questioned on the choice of words, Kharge quickly defended himself, claiming that he meant to say that the PM was terrorising his political opponents.
"He (PM Modi) is terrorising people and political parties. I never said he is a terrorist...What I mean, I want to clarify, is that Modi always threatens. The institutions like ED, I-T and CBI are in his hands. He wants to take delimitation also into his hands," Kharge said.
The clarification did little to calm the situation as BJP filed a "strong complaint" with the Election Commission over Kharge's remarks and also sought an apology from him.
"We have filed a strong complaint against Congress President Shri @kharge ji for his shocking and disgraceful remark calling Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji a "terrorist." This is not just derogatory, it is a dangerous & unprecedented attack on democratic institutions. A blatant violation of the Model Code of Conduct. Immediate action is non-negotiable," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju sad in a post on X.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal also criticised the Congress-DMK alliance, calling the remarks a "new low" in political discourse. He demanded an apology from Congress leadership and DMK allies, stating that such comments insult not only the Prime Minister but also the citizens of India.
Tamil Nadu BJP leader K. Annamalai criticised the Congress president for using "indecent language".
"Unfortunately, the senior politician, a leader of the Congress party, which has got a lineage of its own, choosing to use a very dirty language, choosing to bring indignity to the office of the Prime Minister and straight away calling PM Modi as a terrorist..." Annamalai told ANI.
Amid the heated debate, DMK MP Kanimozhi backed Kharge's remarks about misuse of central agencies."Yes, there are raids. They (BJP) use Income Tax, CBI, and ED against their opposition parties. This has been their style of functioning."
Congress leader KC Venugopal also came to Kharge's defence, accusing the BJP of amplifying the issue unnecessarily and attempting to divert attention from substantive concerns."They (BJP) will try to make a non-issue become an issue... Prime Minister Modi is trying to terrorise people by using the ED and the CBI. That's what Mallikarjun Kharge said. You also know all these camera tricks. They are using only that particular clip... And Kharge himself clarified that he does not call PM Modi a 'terrorist'... then why BJP targeting him? That's an unwanted thing," he said. (ANI)