Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday urged Muslim voters of the Katihar Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar to vote en bloc and defeat Narendra Modi.

The Punjab minister, who has been campaigning for his party in the Seemanchal region of Bihar, also appeared to have mixed up Katihar, where he was speaking, with neighbouring Kishanganj where Muslims are in the majority and the AIMIM has put up a candidate.

The comments by former Test cricketer at the rally, when he was canvassing in support of veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Tariq Anwar, drew an angry response from BJP which condemned the 'reprehensible act' and urged the Election Commission to take 'suo motu cognizance' and take suitable action.

'Do not consider yourself as being in a minority. You constitute the majority here. You are about 64 per cent. Do not fall into the trap laid down by people like Owaisi (president of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen). They have been propped up by the BJP,' Sidhu had said on Monday at a rally held at Barasol in the Katihar Lok Sabha seat in Bihar. 'Recognize your strength and vote en block to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi,' he said.

The video footage of Sidhu's comments was beamed by TV news channels on Tuesday.

'We strongly condemn the remarks made by Navjot Singh Sidhu. His comments appear to be in sync with the Congress policy of minority appeasement and a consequence of the party's worry of an impending defeat,' BJP state party vice-president Devesh Kumar told PTI reacting to the remarks of Sidhu, who was previously with the saffron party.

'We would also urge the Election Commission to take suo motu cognizance of his utterances and take suitable action,' he added.