‘Didn’t call PM Modi a terrorist,’ Kharge clarifies remarks; accuses him of ‘terrorising’ political opponent
Clarifying his earlier remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday (April 21, 2026) said that he did not call the Prime Minister “a terrorist” but spoke about the victimisation of political opponents by the Modi government.
Mr. Kharge alleged that the Prime Minister “is terrorising politicians” and “tax terrorism is happening”.
“I did not speak against the PM. The Prime Minister is terrorising politicians and candidates, and regarding this, I said that tax terrorism is happening, ED, the Income Tax department, and the CBI are conducting raids…this terrorism is being facilitated by the PM. I did not call him a terrorist…he is scaring people. He is trying to silence people through raids and attempting to defeat them in elections. This is what I said in Chennai,” he told ANI.
Earlier, addressing a press conference in Chennai alongside AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal, Mr. Kharge initially referred to the Prime Minister as a “terrorist” while criticising the AIADMK’s alliance with the BJP.
Questioning how the AIADMK — a party rooted in the Dravidian ideologies of Periyar and C. N. Annadurai — could justify partnering with Prime Minister Modi, Mr. Kharge said, “How these AIADMK people, who themselves put the photo of Annadurai… how can they join with Modi? He is a terrorist… He doesn’t believe in equality. His party won’t believe in equality and justice. And these people are joining them, which means that they are weakening democracy.”
However, when asked by reporters to clarify the context of the remark, Mr. Kharge said what he meant was that the Prime Minister was “terrorising” the democratic fabric of the country.
“He (PM Modi) is terrorising people and political parties. I never said he is a terrorist… What I mean, I want to clarify, is that Modi always threatens. The institutions like ED, I-T and CBI are in his hands. He wants to take delimitation also into his hands,” Mr. Kharge said.
The Congress president’s remarks drew strong condemnation from senior BJP leaders, who dubbed the remarks “crass” and “a personal insult” to PM Modi.
