PM should mind his language, Kovind told

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Rajya Sabha Opposition leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Khare and a dozen other Congress leaders have written to President Ramnath Kobind to caution Prime Minister Modi against use of unwarranted threatening and intimidating language against Congress that does not behove the position of the prime minister.

Their reference was to Modi's poll address at Hubli in Karnataka on May 6, warning the Congress leaders of dire consequences if they cross the limits. "Congress ke neta kaan kholkar sun lijiye. Agar seemaon ko par karoge to ye Modi hai, lene ke dene pad jayenge."

Enclosing the video clip in a 2-page letter, they said such a threat violates the oath of office that the PM takes. "It is unthinkable that in our democratic polity, the Prime Minister as head of the Government would utter words which are threatening and intimidating in content and a public warning to the leaders and members of the main opposition party, i.e. the Indian National Congress."

"The threat held out by the Prime Minister to the Congress leadership deserves to be condemned .... The words

“Congress ke neta kaan kholkar sun lijiye. Agar seemaon ko par karoge to ye Modi hai, lene ke dene pad jayenge."

used are menacing and intimidating with intent to insult and prov\oke breach of peace."

Asserting that neither the Congress nor its leaders will be cowed down by such threats, the party leaders urged the President to advise and guide as the constitutional head of the union of India. They said the PM is not expected to use menacing language even in the course of an election campaign to settle personal and political scores.

The signatories to the letter include Dr Karan Singh, Ahmed Patel, Anand Sharma, Congress general secretaries Ashok Gehlot, Ambika Soni, Digvijay Singh and Mukul Wasnik, AICC treasurer Motilal Vora and former union ministers P Chidambaram and Kamal Nath.