Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday that she approached the Election Commission of India to raise concerns over what she described as “condemnable” remarks made by Mallikarjun Kharge against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging a repeated pattern of abusive language by the Congress party.

Speaking after a BJP delegation met the Commission, Sitharaman stated that Kharge, while addressing the media in an election-bound state, used highly objectionable words, including referring to the Prime Minister as a “terrorist.” She argued that such remarks reflect a consistent trend within Congress of using offensive language against Modi without any course correction.

She also pointed out the timing of the comments, noting that they came around the anniversary of the Pahalgam terror attack, calling it particularly insensitive given the loss of civilian lives in that incident. According to Sitharaman, the BJP raised the issue before the full Commission, emphasizing that repeated personal attacks on the Prime Minister undermine democratic values and disrespect the mandate given by the people. She described Kharge’s remark as one of the lowest points in political discourse.

Highlighting the government’s stance on national security, she contrasted Modi’s “zero tolerance” policy on terrorism with the approach of previous governments, accusing them of being lenient. She called the remark “outrageous” and an insult not only to the Prime Minister but also to the country’s democratic system.

The BJP delegation, which included Kiren Rijiju and Arjun Ram Meghwal, demanded strict action from the Election Commission and urged Kharge to apologise. Rijiju described the comment as an issue concerning the entire nation and said such language had crossed all acceptable limits of political discourse. The controversy began after Kharge’s speech during an election campaign in Tamil Nadu, where he criticised the AIADMK for its alliance with the BJP and made sharp remarks against the Prime Minister, triggering strong backlash from BJP leaders.