The Congress on Wednesday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his "remote-control" jibe at party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, terming it a "concerted attack" on all those who come from oppressed backgrounds.
At an election rally in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi said the Congress is unable to do away with its habit of using the "remote" and while earlier, "the prime minister used to be remote-controlled, these days the Congress president is being remote-controlled".
Hitting back at Modi in a post on X, Congress general secretary (organisation), K C Venugopal, alleged that the prime minister has insulted "a son of the soil" and the leader of his party.
"This is not a loose political statement, it is a concerted attack on all those who come from oppressed backgrounds but aim to succeed in public life," he said.
"In reality, PM Modi cannot digest that unlike his party's fake claims of social justice, it is only the Congress that is capable of democratically throwing up such towering leaders," the Congress general secretary said.
Venugopal said Kharge's political journey spanning six decades is unprecedented in Indian history and he continues to serve as an inspiration for millions.
In his remarks, Modi also said the Congress president is one of the seniormost leaders and is his good friend, but "he has been reduced to such a state that he remains just a nominal president".
"Sometimes when the charge of the remote finishes or connectivity is lost, he (Kharge) utters some good things also. I read somewhere that yesterday he had remembered the Pandavas. When the remote is on, he abuses Sanatan, but as soon as the remote was switched off, he remembered Pandavas and Sanatan," Modi said.
"Yesterday he said that there are five Pandavas in BJP. We are proud that we are following the path of the five Pandavas," the prime minister asserted.
At a rally in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday, Kharge had referred to various government agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation, and Income Tax, along with PM Modi and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, as the "panch Pandavas" (five Pandavas) of the BJP.
Meanwhile, the Congress also hit out at the prime minister for his jibe over the opposition party complaining to the Election Commission over his announcement of a five-year extension of the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "It's election season and the Jagadguru of Jhoot is working overtime to save his image. Let him produce the letter if he has the courage."
"Meanwhile, attached is the proof of Mr Modi opposing the National Food Security Act on August 7, 2013, and then later making a complete U-turn by rebranding it as PMGKY," Ramesh said and tagged a letter written by Modi as the chief minister of Gujarat to then PM Manmohan Singh criticising the food security ordinance 2013.
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