![\"EC](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-130442445,imgsize-104976,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/mallikarjun-kharge.jpg\" "\\"Congress")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nNEW DELHI: The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday took a serious note of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “terrorist”, issuing a stern notice to him. The poll body has asked Kharge to explain his stand within 24 hours.Kharge on Tuesday referred to PM Modi as a \u201cterrorist\u201d and later issued a clarification, in remarks expected to trigger political controversy during the ongoing election season.Kharge made the statement in Chennai at a press conference on the final day of campaigning for the Tamil Nadu assembly elections, scheduled for Thursday. He was criticising the opposition AIADMK over its alliance with PM Modi’s BJP. <\/p>\n Watch<\/span><\/p>\n ‘Called PM Modi Terrorist’: Piyush Goyal LAMBASTS Rahul Gandhi, MK Stalin Over Kharge’s Remark<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “How can they (AIADMK) join with Modi? He is a terrorist. And he doesn’t believe in equality. His party won’t believe in equality and justice. And these people are joining with them, it means that they are weakening democracy, they are weakening the philosophy of Annadurai, Kamaraj, Periyar, Kalaignar, and Baba Saheb Ambedkar,” he said.When questioned on the context of his remarks, the Congress chief said he meant that the prime minister always \u201cthreatens\u201d and pointed to the alleged \u201cmisuse\u201d of agencies by the BJP-led central government.\u201cI want to clarify that Modi always threatens. The institutions like ED, I-T and CBI are in his hands. Therefore I say, in that context, I say he is terrorising people and political parties,\u201d the veteran politician stated.Later, the BJP urged EC to initiate \u201csuitable penal action\u201d against Kharge, arguing that the remark was among the \u201cgravest possible imputations in public life\u201d.\u201cThis is not just derogatory, it is a dangerous and unprecedented attack on democratic institutions and a blatant violation of the MCC. Immediate action is non-negotiable,\u201d BJP said in its complaint. Union minister Kiren Rijiju and other functionaries asked EC to consider registering an FIR against Kharge for making a \u201cfalse and defamatory statement\u201d and violating the poll code.<\/div>\n\n