Belagavi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is like a poisonous snake, and one should not lick the snake to check whether it is poisonous or not, and if they do, they are dead, Congress chief M Mallikarjun Kharge said on Thursday, The Indian Express reported.
However, he emerged later, clarifying that it wasn't a personal attack but was referring to BJP's ideology.
Speaking at an election rally in Gadag district's Ron, Kharge was heard saying, "Modi is like a poisonous snake. Don't try to lick this snake to check whether it is venomous or not. If you taste it, you are dead."
Later his clarification came: "I did not call him (Modi) that. I have said earlier that I do not make personal attacks. What I said was that the (BJP) ideology was poisonous. If you support the ideology and want to taste it, death is certain," TIE quoted.
He tweeted that he was talking about the BJP's hate politics. His comments were not a personal attack on Prime Minister Modi or any other individual but against the ideology Modi represented.
He added that Congress's fight was not personal but a battle against ideology.
He said that he did not intend to hurt anyone's feelings, and if he had done so knowingly or unknowingly, it was never his intention; TIE reported his tweets in Hindi.
However, the obvious uproar has blasted from the saffron side, accusing Kharge of crossing the boundaries of civil discourse.