BJP hits back after Cong MLA's 'If Modi Dies' remark

Congress MLA Raju Kage has once again landed himself at the center of a controversy, with his provocative statements, including his 'If Modi Dies' remark during an election campaign in the Belagavi district.

On Tuesday, Kage questioned the nation's preparedness for alternative leadership in the event of Modi's death, stating, "If Modi dies, will no one else become PM of India... is there no candidate for PM in a population of 140 crore?"

Reacting to Kage's remarks, the BJP labeled it as inappropriate and unacceptable. "... the cowards want the death of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Karnataka BJP countered on X.

Seeking to sway the electorate away from Prime Minister Modi's influence, Kage on Tuesday cautioned against blindly following Modi's rhetoric, emphasising the Congress party's commitment to addressing the concerns of the people.

"If there is a problem in the state, Modi will not come. We (Congress) are here to listen to your problems," he remarked.

In a bid to challenge the appeal of PM Modi in Karnataka, Kage raised questions: "Is Modi contesting from Karnataka?... If we want to vote, we have to go to Varanasi (for Modi)...

"Modi has an aircraft worth Rs 3000 crore and his clothes are worth Rs 4 lakh each. If we get Rs 4 lakh, we will leave our family and take sanyas," he asserted.

Kage was campaigning for Priyanka Jarkiholi, Congress MP candidate from Chikkodi constituency, in Belagavi's Mamadapura village.

This is not the first time Kage has courted controversy. He recently made headlines for allegedly threatening voters with electricity cuts if Congress received fewer votes in the upcoming elections.

Addressing another rally in Belagavi district's Jugul village, Kage warned that the Karnataka government would impose more frequent power cuts if Congress faced the threat of losing in the upcoming assembly elections next year.

Kage's history of provocative statements extends back to last year when he faced criticism for making sexist comments about nurses during his hospitalisation for liver transplantation surgery. Despite the backlash, Kage maintained that his remarks were not intended to offend but were instead a reflection of his personal feelings about ageing.

Meanwhile, Kage's controversial comments have drawn sharp criticism from the BJP, with the party accusing him of crossing the line. "If there are no things to criticise, the cowards want the death of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Karnataka BJP countered on X, taking a swipe at Kage's rhetoric.

Asserting PM Modi's popularity and the support he enjoys from the masses, the BJP emphasised, "Prime Minister Modi has the blessings of 140 crore Indians. The more Congressmen want him dead, the longer he lives."