The Congress has started describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “Vishguru”.

Vish is the Hindi word for poison.

While the relationship between the Congress and the BJP has been extraordinarily bitter in the Modi regime, with not even systemic engagement between the main Opposition and the Prime Minister, the sobriquet of “Vishguru” at a time two BJP spokespersons are under fire from around a dozen countries for their toxic language is bound to raise eyebrows.

Former Union minister Jairam Ramesh used to often describe Modi as “Vishwaguru of Jhooth (World leader of lies)”. Though Rahul Gandhi has also called Modi a “liar” several times, Ramesh had been using this acerbic term “Vishwaguru of Jhooth” for years. The BJP, too, never confronted him on this embarrassing description.

On June 1, Ramesh put out this tweet: “The Vishwaguru of Vendetta has hit a new low with the issue of ED (Enforcement Directorate) notice to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi today. It is a completely bogus money laundering case foisted on them with neither money flow nor any laundering. Truth will triumph. We will not be silenced!”

Party spokesperson Pawan Khera responded to this tweet, saying, “I see a small spelling mistake here. Shouldn’t it be Vishguru?”

Ramesh promptly accepted his logic and tweeted: “Oops. Yes you are right. It was an error on my part. It should have been Vishguru and not Vishwaguru.”

Ramesh, who may be given the charge of communications in place of Randeep Surjewala soon, stuck to this description after that.

On June 5, he tweeted: “Today is World Environment Day, celebrated since 1973. Vishguru is launching LiFE (Lifestyle For Environment). This is Maximum Hypocrisy, since he is weakening all environmental and forest laws, regulations and institutions at home, while posing to be an eco-champion on the world stage.”

Again, while responding to the raging controversy on the hostile reactions of Islamic nations to the derogatory remarks on Prophet Mohammed by BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, Ramesh tweeted: “After Qatar, it is now the turn of Kuwait to protest by summoning our envoy. This is when the Vice President of India (ex-President of BJP) is in Qatar now, singing praises of the Vishguru no doubt!”

On Monday, Ramesh put out another lethal tweet contesting the BJP’s claim that its policies were guided by “Sabka saath-Sabka vikas” doctrine. He said: “I have said so before and will keep saying it. ‘Sabka saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwash, Sabka Prayas is only a cover-up for Vishguru’s Bakwas.”

The use of the term “Vishguru” obviously reflects the Congress thinking that the toxic discourse by the BJP spokespersons is sanctioned by the top leadership. The party has on countless occasions called out the top BJP leaders, including the Prime Minister and other ministers, for indulging in communal discourse. Parliament had witnessed a major uproar in December 2014 when Union minister of state Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti used the expression — “Ramzade” versus “Haramzade” — to differentiate between Hindus and Muslims.

The Congress has unwaveringly maintained that the RSS ideology and the top leadership of the BJP are responsible for the toxic discourse and they reap rich electoral harvest out of communal politics. Even at the latest Chintan Shivir in Udaipur, Sonia Gandhi identified divisive politics as the gravest challenge to the Indian nation, saying that “it is not just the undermining of our long-cherished values embodied in the Constitution that are now at grave risk. The fires of hatred and discord that are being ignited have taken a heavy toll on peoples’ lives. This is having serious social consequences.”

Claiming that the vast majority of Indians want to live in an atmosphere of peace, amity and harmony, Sonia had said: “The BJP, its cohorts and surrogates want to keep our people in a state of perpetual frenzy and conflict. They constantly provoke, instigate and inflame. We have to combat this growing virus of divisiveness that is being maliciously and mischievously spread.” She recalled how Modi remains silent on shocking incidents of communal violence.

Directly targeting Modi, Sonia said: “Now it has become abundantly and most painfully clear what Prime Minister Modi and his colleagues really mean by their frequently repeated slogan: maximum governance, minimum government. It means keeping the country in a state of permanent polarisation, compelling our people to live in a constant state of fear and insecurity. It means viciously targeting, victimising and often brutalising minorities who are an integral part of our society and are equal citizens of our republic.”