Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in reining in BJP functionaries calling Rahul Gandhi a "terrorist".

Kharge was referring to the "objectionable, violent and rude" statements made recently against Rahul by legislators of the BJP, its allies and ministers, over the LoP's remarks in the US on a caste census and religious freedom in India, seeking strict legal action against them to prevent the political discourse degenerating any further.

Kharge used his birthday greeting to Modi, who turned 74 on Tuesday, to flag the issue the Congress fears can fuel hate-mongering against Rahul.

"Due to such hate-mongering forces, Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi had to sacrifice their lives," Kharge said.

The ball in this round of name-calling was set rolling by Congress-turned-BJP MP and junior railway minister Ravneet Singh Bittu who last week said: "If there should be an award to catch the number one terrorist and the biggest enemy of the country, it should be on Rahul Gandhi."

This was repeated by UP minister Raghuraj Singh. On Monday, Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad announced ₹11 lakh to anyone cutting off Rahul's tongue. Another BJP functionary had warned Rahul of a similar fate as his grandmother.