New Delhi: Congress has criticised the prime minister for dubbing party president Mallikarjun Kharge as a remote control of the Gandhi family. The Opposition party lamented that with his remarks, Modi has disgraced Kharge and insulted the party delegates who elected him to the top Congress post.

“I saw what the prime minister said in Karnataka yesterday. With every passing day, Mr Modi is reducing the little bit of respect, the little bit of dignity left to an office that he has held for nine years. When he talked about Mr Kharge, who has 50 years of legislative experience, who has been elected to both assembly and Parliament, he didn’t just disgrace Mr Kharge, our party president, but he insulted the people who have elected him. He insulted our elected representatives and delegates who have chosen Mr Kharge,” spokesperson Supriya Shrinathe said.

“May I remind the PM that when you spoke such language about the Congress Parliamentary Party chief Mrs Sonia Gandhi, who is ailing but still going in the sun and working for the party because of her dedication, you disgraced women all over the country,” she said.