In a move that took political pundits by surprise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to the defence of Janata Dal (Secular) chief HD Deve Gowda during a rally in poll-bound Karnataka on Tuesday.

Addressing supporters of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in coastal district of Udupi, PM Modi slammed the Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi for “insulting” the 84-year-old former prime minister.

“The disrespect shown towards Shri Deve Gowda ji by Congress leaders and the Congress president around 15-20 days ago is not acceptable. If such is their mindset, how can they think good for people of Karnataka?” the PM said.

In a sharp rebuke aimed at the 47-year-old Gandhi, the PM said that while his life as a Congress president has just started that of Deve Gowda is counted among the tallest leaders of the country.

The PM said that he himself “opens the door of Deve Gowda’s car” whenever the JD(S) chief visits him in New Delhi.

“Whenever he comes to meet me in Delhi, I make it a point to receive him at the entrance of my home…open the door of the car for him. I also see him off up to his car,” he said.

“We have had political differences with Deve Gowda Ji but there is no denying that he is among India’s most respected leaders,” said PM Modi in praise of the leader whose party is one of the three contesting the Karnataka elections.

“The language Congress leaders have used for Deve Gowda Ji is shocking. This shows their arrogance,” he said adding that arrogant people like those in the Congress are a threat to democracy.

Rahul Gandhi had called Deve Gowda’s party a “B-team” of the BJP. The same charge was repeated by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who has been claiming that both BJP and the JD(S) have a tacit understanding.

Reacting to Gandhi’s charge, Deve Gowda had reportedly called him “innocent” while adding that the Congress chief simply “reads from a copy written by others”.

Modi’s defence of Gowda comes amid speculations of a fractured verdict in the state.

JD(S) state unit chief HD Kumaraswamy, son of Deve Gowda, had earlier claimed he would be the king after the polls and not the kingmaker. Deve Gowda, however, told a TV channel that he and his family would disown Kumaraswamy if he joins hands with the BJP.

Earlier today, Modi had also dared Gandhi to speak for 15 minutes on his party’s developmental works in Karnataka without reading from a paper. The challenge was in response to Gandhi’s “15-minute” dare thrown at Modi.

Read More: PM Modi takes dig at Rahul Gandhi, issues a different 15-minute challenge

At three rallies today, the PM cornered the Congress on corruption, development, crime and ‘family politics’.

“Where there is Congress, all roads that lead to development are blocked. There is only family politics, corruption and lack of harmony,” Modi told a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rally in Santhemarahalli village, about 163 km south of Bengaluru.

Modi also attacked Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and the Congress for indulging in “family politics”.

“For the Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) the rule is ‘2+1’, where he will contest from two seats and has given his old seat (Varuna in Mysuru district) to his son (Yathindra) and for the other ministers (in the state cabinet), the rule seems to be ‘1+1’, allowing their relatives to fight polls,” he said.

“In the last two years scores of BJP karyakartas have been murdered because they believed in a different ideology,” said Modi in Belagavi, 507 kilometres north of Bengaluru.

Read More: PM Modi attacks Congress on development, crime, ‘family politics’ in Karnataka