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‘Not able to digest…’ : Pralhad Joshi takes dig at opposition
Joshi's comments come a week after Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's 'Modi is a poisonous snake' attack at an election rally in Kalaburagi.
Union minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday slammed the opposition for using “filthy language” against prime minister Narendra Modi. Speaking to news agency ANI, Joshi - in the state to campaign ahead of next week's assembly election - said, "They're not able to digest the popularity and success of the prime minister. So they think that by using filthy language they can at least satisfy themselves. But people won't tolerate this... I strongly condemn this."
Joshi's comments come a week after Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's “Modi is a poisonous snake” attack at an election rally in Kalaburagi. Kharge later claimed he was referring to the Bharatiya Janata Party's ideology and not the prime minister but by then the commment had provoked furious responses from several BJP leaders, including union minister Smriti Irani.
Days later the prime minister himself responded by embracing the Congress leader's venomous words and declaring the opposition party hated him because he had made it his mission to fight against corruption, which has become a major issue in this election.
“... my government has been working hard to make (a) strong nation and eradicate corruption from its roots and the Congress is not liking it. In return, they are calling me a poisonous snake”, Modi told voters in Kolar, "... a snake stays on the neck of Lord Eashwar..."
The unseemly “poisonous snake” spat between the BJP and the Congress was noted this afternoon by the Election Commission, which called on all parties in Karnataka to maintain a “high standard of political discourse”. The poll panel said it had taken serious note of the “plummeting level” of discourse and referred to the use of “inappropriate vocabulary and language... in particular, by those invested with the statutory status of star campaigner”.
There was no reference to Kharge but the Congress chief is a star campaigner for his party.
Joshi's remarks also come after Congress leader and ex-Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah's comment last month - that 'PM Modi is not (a) God to bless anyone'.
The union minister criticised Siddaramaiah, saying, "We are not saying PM Modi is God (but that) people see him as God. Whatever they (Congress) have spoken against Modi ji, people have given them a befitting reply."
Meanwhile, Joshi on Monday once again played down talk of becoming the next chief minister of Karnataka. He declared he wishes to continue working directly under Modi.
"No. Absolutely no... I feel I am fortunate to work directly under Modi, I have never seen in my life such a personality," the four-time MP from Karnataka's Dharwad said as he defended his party's ticket distribution strategy for this election. The BJP has seen several high-profile names, including former chief minister Jagadish Shettar and deputy CM Laxman Savadi quit the party - and join the Congress - after being denied tickets in a bid to fight incumbency.
The battle for Karnataka - the first big state to vote this year, to be followed by Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh and Telangana - is widely seen as a close race between the BJP and the Congress, with the Janata Dal (Secular) also in the fray.
