Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman and other BJP leaders on Monday slammed Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for “unnecessarily dragging PM Narendra Modi into his personal health matters”, with his remarks that he “would die only after removing PM Modi”. The remarks show the hate and fear Congress and its leaders have for the prime minister, they pointed out.

“Yesterday, the Congress President, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge Ji has outperformed himself, his leaders and his party in being absolutely distasteful and disgraceful in his speech. In a bitter display of spite, he unnecessarily dragged PM Modi into his personal health matters by saying that he would die only after removing PM Modi from power,” the home minister wrote in a post on ‘X’.

“It just shows how much hate and fear these Congress people have for PM Modi, that they are thinking of him constantly,” he added. Shah further prayed for a long and healthy life for Mr Kharge.

“As for the health of Kharge Ji, Modi Ji prays, I pray and we all pray that he lives a long, healthy life. May he continue to live for many years and may he live to see the creation of a Viksit Bharat by 2047,” he said. The scathing statement from the Home Minister came a day after Kharge, while addressing a rally in Jammu and Kashmir, said he is 83-year-old but won’t die until Modi is removed from power.

“I am 83 years old. I am not going to die so early. I will stay alive till PM Modi is removed from power,” Kharge has said.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also castigated Kharge’s remark. In a post on X, she wrote,”Aptly said, Union HM Amit Shah. The leadership of Congress never loses any opportunity to display their hate towards PM Modi. This speech of Mallikarjun Kharge is one such instance. We join in praying for the long life of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. We wish he lives to see Viksit Bharat India@2047.”

In Begusarai, Bihar, Union Minister Giriraj Singh said, “…Narendra Modi will remain in the hearts of people for thousands of years, no matter who lives or dies…”

BJP leader Nalin Kohli said, “…With regard to Kharge ji’s desire to say that I’m going to live as long as I can so that I evict Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the position of Prime Minister. That is for the people of India to decide. The people of India have already blessed PM Modi to serve the country in 2014, 2019 and now in 2024…”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi spoke to the Congress president and enquired about his health.

Kharge reportedly suffered a “syncopal attack” during the rally and almost fainted. He was helped by his security and other leaders present at the stage.He was in J and K, campaigning for the assembly elections. The third and last phase of voting will take place tomorrow.