The Election Commission of India on April 22, 2026 issued a notice to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge seeking his explanation within 24 hours after he was reported to have referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “terrorist” at a press conference. The poll body said the remark could breach the Model Code of Conduct, which requires maintaining decorum and avoiding inflammatory or derogatory language during the election period.
The notice followed a protest lodged by a BJP delegation that met the Election Commission on Wednesday, demanding swift and exemplary action. The high-level delegation included Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju, Nirmala Sitharaman and Arjun Ram Meghwal, along with BJP national general secretary Arun Singh, who urged the Commission to intervene against what they called “venomous remarks” by the Congress chief.
Speaking to the media, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the delegation conveyed the party’s “deep sorrow and anger” over Kharge’s language and called for immediate cognisance. He said, “For Kharge to call PM Modi a ‘terrorist’ is not just a remark but a grave insult to the entire nation. Such disgraceful conduct cannot be normalised.”
The controversy stems from Kharge’s remarks at a Chennai press conference on April 21, 2026, when, responding to a question, he used the term “terrorist” in reference to the prime minister. Kharge later said his statement had been “misinterpreted” and offered a clarification.
“I did not mean that Modi is a terrorist. What I meant was that people are being terrorised, and institutions and agencies are being used to intimidate them,” Kharge said, adding that his comments were aimed at criticizing what he described as an atmosphere of fear under the current government. He alleged that key institutions, including investigative agencies, were operating under political pressure, a trend he said was weakening democratic norms.
The remarks triggered a sharp backlash from BJP leaders, who labelled the comment “irresponsible” and “unacceptable,” demanded an apology, and accused the Congress leadership of lowering the level of political discourse. The ECI’s notice will now determine whether Kharge’s explanation addresses the alleged breach of conduct.
Original Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/eci-seeks-explanation-from-kharge-over-terrorist-remark-on-pm-modi
Category: India
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Publish Date: 2026-04-22 20:29:00
