Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday criticised Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge for his statement that he will not die before ousting Prime Minister Narendra Modi from power, calling it a "bitter display of spite". Kharge made this remark when he fell ill during a campaign rally in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.

Shah alleged Kharge's comments reflect the "hatred and fear" the Congress and its leaders harbour toward the Prime Minister, adding the the Congress chief unnecessarily dragged PM Modi into his personal health matters, in a "bitter display of spite".

Kharge, fell ill during a public rally in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district on Sunday. Shortly after the incident, he said that he would not die anytime soon, at least not before defeating PM Modi.

Responding to it, Shah tweeted, "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 Union Home Minister further asserted that this showed "how much hate and fear these Congress people have of PM Modi, that they are thinking of him constantly".

"As for the health of Mr. 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," Shah said.

Kharge, 83, suffered a "syncopal attack" during his speech but resumed after a brief pause, stating, "I am not going to die so early. I will stay alive till PM Modi is removed from power".

Prime Minister Modi later spoke to Kharge on Sunday to enquire about his health.

Source: India Today