PM used ‘threatening’ language in K’taka poll campaign: Manmohan to Prez

NEW DELHI: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other senior Congress leaders have written a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, urging him to “caution Prime Minister Narendra Modi from using threatening and intimidating language” against opposition leaders during election campaigns.

The letter, dated May 13, refers to the Prime Minister’s election speech at Hubli in Karnataka on May 6 in which he had warned Congress president Rahul Gandhi and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi (although not by name) not to “cross the limits of public decorum” . They would otherwise have to pay for this, the Prime Minister warned.

Though he did not directly name any leader, he mentioned “Congress maa (Congress mother)” and her son in an apparent reference to the Gandhis.

“The threat held out by the Prime Minister to the Congress leadership deserves to be condemned. This cannot be the language of the Prime Minister of a constitutionally governed democratic country of 1.3 billion people. Such discourse, whether in public or private, is unacceptable conduct. The words used are menacing and intimidating with intent to insult and provoke breach of peace,” the letter said.

Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, BJP spokesperson, however, said, “Those who called an elected chief minister (Narendra Modi) maut ka saudagar and those who have broken all records of breaking decency in public discourse, should not raise fingers at the Prime Minister. Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh should remember that when they raise one finger at Narendra Modi, four others point towards them. On the eve of counting of votes in Karnataka, the Congress is looking for an excuse to diver attention from an impending defeat.”

Singh and other Congress leaders said the Prime Minister is not expected to use menacing language even in the course of election campaign which tantamount to using his powers and privileges to settle “personal and political” scores. “The President may caution the Prime Minister from using such unwarranted, threatening and intimidating language against leaders of the Congress party or any other party of person as it does not behove the position of the Prime Minister,” the leaders said. Claiming that the Congress as the oldest party in India has faced many challenges and threats, the letter said the Congress leadership has always exhibited courage and fearlessness in facing threat and challenges. “We would like to state that neither the party nor our leaders will be cowed down by such threats.”

In the past, Singh and other leaders said all Prime Ministers had maintained “immense dignity and decorum” in discharge of public or private functions and actions. “It is unthinkable that in our democratic polity, the Prime Minister as the head of the government would utter words which are threatening, intimidating in content and a public warning to the leaders and members of the main opposition party.”