The Congress on Thursday hit back at the BJP for attacking party chief Mallikarjun Kharge over his 'Ravan' remark and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "have the courage to listen too" as it cited several instances in the past when PM Modi had "insulted" Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh.
The Congress reaction came a day after the BJP and its ministers released videos of the opposition party "insulting" the prime minister ahead of Gujarat Assembly polls.
"What about the numerous times he has insulted Smt Sonia Gandhi in the most awful language and the atrocious manner he mocked Dr Manmohan Singh in Parliament," said AICC general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh.
"Should I remind Mr Modi what he said on Feb 8, 2017 in Rajya Sabha about Dr Manmohan Singh that he knew the art of bathing with a raincoat on'. Can there be a cheaper & crasser comment by any PM on his predecessor, and that too in the very temple of democracy?" Ramesh said on Twitter.
AICC media in-charge Pawan Khera also tweeted, "If you keep talking about our leaders and elders, then have the courage to listen too."
The BJP intensified its attack on the Congress over its president Mallikarjun Kharge's 'Ravan' jibe at Prime Minister Modi and said people will give a befitting reply to the opposition party.
The BJP also said that the people of Gujarat will reply to the Congress through their vote for use of "abusive" words against the PM.
Prime Minister Modi on Thursday said there is a competition among Congress leaders as to who will use the most abusive words against him, referring to the opposition party president Mallikarjun Kharge's 'Ravan' jibe at him.
Before Kharge, another Congress leader had said the party will show Modi his 'aukat' (place), the PM said, apparently referring to Madhusudan Mistry's remark last month.
Addressing a poll rally at Kalol town in Panchmahal district of Gujarat, Modi said such abusive words used for him were an insult of Gujarat and its people because he was raised by the people of this land.
He asked people to teach the Congress leaders a lesson by voting for the 'lotus' (BJP's symbol) in the state elections.
Kharge on Monday night addressed a rally in Behrampura area of Ahmedabad city where he said the prime minister asks people to vote "looking at his face" in all elections. "Are you 100-headed like Ravan," he had said.
On Thursday too, Kharge took a swipe at PM Modi, saying that he hurls "four quintals of gaalis (abuses)" at the grand old party everyday and targets its leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. He was addressing a rally at Waghodia town in Vadodara district of Gujarat in support of Congress candidate Satyajitsinh Gaekwad.
On Thursday, Modi said, "I respect Khargeji but he has to follow orders of the party high command. He was compelled to say that Modi has 100 heads like (demon king) Ravan."
"But, the Congress did not realise that Gujarat is the land of Ram Bhakts. Those who never believed in the existence of Lord Ram, have now brought in Ravan from Ramayana just to abuse me," the PM said.
"And, I am surprised they never expressed repentance, forget about tendering an apology, after using such cuss words for me. Congress leaders think it is their right to use abusive language for Modi and insult the country's prime minister," he said.
In an apparent jibe at the Gandhi family, Modi said Congress leaders are abusing him because their allegiance is towards a family, not India's democracy.
"For them, that family is everything. They will do anything to make the family happy. There is a competition among Congress leaders as to who will use the most abusive and most toxic slurs for Modi," he said.
