In the midst of a positive election trend that is buoying the Congress in Karnataka, the party has whirled into a fresh wave of setback after the remarks from the party's national president Mallikarjun Kharge has sparked an outrage and served a platter of talking point to the BJP that aims to retain its reign in the state. Karnataka will go for a single-phase assembly poll on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13. 

As the campaigns between both the parties are getting intensified, the war of words is scorching and Kharge's remarks have exhibited that trend. On Thursday, Kharge had likened Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a poisonous snake. During an election campaign in Kalaburagi, the Congress leader said in Kannada, "PM Modi is like a 'poisonous snake', you might think it is poison or not. If you lick it, you are dead." 

His remarks went viral and brought back a fresh setback for Congress. Several state and national BJP leaders came down hard on Kharge and slammed him over his statement. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is BJP's in-charge in Karnataka, said that Kharge used such words to appease his political masters. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that there is a poison in Kharge's mind. 

Bommai said, "There is a poison in the mind of Kharge. It is a prejudiced mind towards PM Modi and BJP. This kind of thinking comes because of desperation as they are unable to fight him politically and they are seeing that their ship is sinking. People will teach them a lesson."

BJP leader from Karnataka, Shobha Karandlaje said, "Mallikarjun Kharge is a senior leader and president of Congress. What does he want to tell the world? Narendra Modi is the prime minister of our country and the whole world respects him and using such language for PM shows the level to which Congress has stooped. We want him to apologise to the country." 

Slamming Kharge, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, "It shows the mentality of Congress. I condemn it. On one hand, Rahul Gandhi is doing 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' to open shops of love but on the other hand, his party president is using such words for PM. Mallikarjun Kharge should apologise." 

After realizing that he has been flanked by trouble, Kharge came out with a clarification stating that his remarks weren't meant for PM Modi but for the ideology of the BJP. Kharge said, "It wasn't meant for PM Modi, what I meant was BJP's ideology is like a snake. I never said this personally for PM Modi. What I said was their ideology is like a snake and if you try to touch it, your death is certain."