Modi stooped to really low levels, politicised army for electoral gains: Cong

The Congress said today that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had "stooped to really low levels" while campaigning for the May 12 Karnataka assembly election and accused him of politicising the Indian Army for electoral gains by dragging it into the poll campaign.

Congress's senior spokesperson Anand Sharma claimed Modi had falsely charged the party with using a derogatory word against the Army Chief, and demanded his apology.

Sharma said such acts displayed his desperation of an impending defeat of the BJP in Karnataka.

He also accused Modi of not letting Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, a Dalit, become the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stooped to new low levels. He is trying to compete with himself how to lower the dignity of the political debate and dialogue and he is brazen about it," Sharma told reporters.

"We make a direct accusation that Modi is the first prime minister who has repeatedly dragged the Indian Army, soldiers and the Generals in poll campaign for electoral gains to emotionally exploit people...We would urge the prime minister not to bring Indian Army into poll campaign," he said.

Sharma alleged that the BJP leadership is "levelling false accusations" and advised the prime minister that he should realise that he was no more an opposition leader but the prime minister of the country and "he should behave and conduct himself like one".

He alleged the prime minister was doing so "deliberately and not unconsciously". His distortion and misrepresentation of history and historical facts have invited global ridicule. "A prime minister who makes untruthful statements does disservice to his own country."