New Delhi, 21 April (H.S.):

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge issued a clarification Tuesday on his controversial remark, asserting he never labeled Prime Minister Narendra Modi a terrorist. He explained his intent was to highlight Modi's alleged intimidation of India's democratic fabric.

During a Chennai press conference with KC Venugopal, Kharge criticized the AIADMK-BJP alliance, questioning how a party displaying Annadurai's portrait could align with Modi—using the provocative term. Pressed by journalists, he immediately contextualized it as referring to central agencies allegedly bullying opposition parties and citizens.

I never said the Prime Minister is a terrorist, Kharge emphasized. His point targeted misuse of governmental machinery to level false accusations against rivals, weakening democratic norms.

The remark—made attacking AIADMK's NDA ties ahead of Tamil Nadu polls—sparked backlash after BJP condemned it as deliberate slander. Kharge's backpedal frames it as rhetorical critique of authoritarian tactics, not personal vilification.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar