Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress President and K C Venugopal, Congress leader, at a press conference in Chennai | Photo Credit: BIJOY GHOSH

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge closed the party’s campaign in Tamil Nadu with a set of fiery accusations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which also included a clarification from the leader.

Prime Minister Modi and the BJP have repeatedly used central government agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department and now the Election Commission to ‘terrorise’  the opposition in the country, according to Kharge. 

“Tamil Nadu is a land of scientific thinking, following the ideals of Ambedkar, Periyar and Annadurai. These people stood for women reservation, justice, equality and fraternity. Modi is not for these principles. How can AIADMK people, who themselves put the photo of Annadurai, join with Modi, who is a terrorist, and who will not believe in equality. His party will not believe in equality and justice. And these people are joining with them,” he said. 

Slip of tongue

Kharge later clarified that calling Modi a terrorist was a slip of tongue and that he instead was trying to convey that the Prime Minister has terrorised the opposition.

Kharge was addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, as the party rounded up its campaign activities for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.  

Addressing a question of why Rahul Gandhi and Stalin have not appeared together campaigning for the Tamil Nadu polls, Kharge said that Gandhi has been in regular touch with the DMK president and the alliance will work unitedly towards beating the BJP-AIADMK alliance. 

On the impact of other parties in the frey this time, Kharge  urged people to not be distracted. “I caution voters about certain parties that may present themselves as hard to refuse. But in reality, they will only divide the secular vote and indirectly help the BJP and its divisive agenda,” he said. 

He also said that Prime Minister Modi making a political address in violation of the Model Code of Conduct is completely unacceptable. 

“Now they want to control the delimitation commission. We have been able to stop that. But, unfortunately, Modi is giving a different colour. He is saying that instead of delimitation, the Women’s Reservation Bill is being opposed by Opposition parties. It is not true. Because the bill was already passed in 2023. We all supported that bill,” he said. 

Published on April 21, 2026