Narendra Modi to 'maintain line and length'

Sensing that his remarks on Sonia and Rahul have not augured well with BJP as well, Modi said he would refrain from such references.

Sensing that his remarks on Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul have not augured well with BJP as well, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday sought to end the unsavoury controversy by hinting that he would refrain from such references but added in the same breath that the letup would only be to disallow the Opposition from taking any advantage in Lok Sabha polls.

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In an interview to a news channel, Modi drew inspiration from the on-going cricket fever when he likened the heat of electioneering to a match that has reached a nerve-wracking stage.

"Many a times when a cricket match reaches its peak of excitement, it so happens that a no-ball or a wide-ball is bowled. Similar thing happens in the heat of election campaigning", Modi told The Indian Express Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta in the Walk the Talk programme to be telecast on April 10, a party release said.

"But in future, my efforts would be to maintain line and length so that my opponents do not get any chance to score a run", he added.

Modi's statement comes a day after Varun Gandhi, nephew of Sonia Gandhi, expressed displeasure at the remarks during canvassing in south Gujarat on Saturday.

Even national BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday called upon political leaders, including Modi to exercise restraint and conduct electioneering in dignified manner.