Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], April 23 (ANI): Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Thursday hit out at the Election Commission over the notice issued to AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge over his 'terrorist' remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called it an 'attention-deviating tactic' by the BJP.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday issued a stern 24-hour ultimatum to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, demanding an explanation for his controversial remark directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the high-decibel Tamil Nadu Assembly election campaign.

Speaking with the media, Kharge raised concerns over the alleged 'picking and choosing of opposition leaders' by the EC and added that a suitable reply will be given to the Commission regarding the notice.

Defending the Congress President, Kharge said, 'The Election Commission is free to give notices to anybody they want. But this picking and choosing of opposition leaders is what we've been raising concerns about. Especially when Mr. Kharge has already clarified that he meant the economic terrorism that he's spreading and the terrorism that Mr. Modi is spreading using IT, ED or CBI amongst the opposition. So it's okay, whatever it is, we will give the reply to the Election Commission.'

Kharge, hinting at a collusion between EC and BJP, said that the party has 'run out of issues,' and that it is trying to divert attention from issues like alleged vote-chori and malpractices in SIR.

'I think the BJP has run out of issues. They've been caught in vote chori, they've been caught making a mockery of the Election Commission and the Commissioner, and now the SIR also has been exposed. So I just think that it's an attention-deviating tactics by the BJP as usual,' he stated.

He further referred to the alleged remarks by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, calling PM Modi 'a dreaded terrorist,' and questioned the lack of anger from the BJP government against its own ally.

'But I believe the BJP is protesting throughout the country for this. Then will they also protest against Chandrababu Naidu, who called Mr. Modi a dreaded terrorist? Their own ally. Forget what the opposition has to say; their own ally thinks that Mr. Modi is a very dangerous and dreaded terrorist. So what will they say about that?' he questioned.

The EC's action follows a high-level delegation of the BJP, including Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Kiren Rijiju, meeting with the full commission to demand 'strictest action' for what they termed a gross violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

The controversy erupted on the last day of Tamil Nadu election campaigning, when the Congress President criticised the AIADMK for supporting the BJP and labelled PM Modi a 'terrorist who does not believe in equality.'

When questioned on the choice of words, Kharge quickly defended himself, claiming that he meant to say that the PM was terrorising his political opponents.

'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,' Kharge said.

The clarification did little to calm the situation as the BJP filed a 'strong complaint' with the Election Commission over Kharge's remarks and also sought an apology from him. (ANI)