File photo of Narendra Modi.
BJP's prime ministerial candidate
Narendra Modi today hurled a "khooni panja" (bloodied hand) barb at Congress, alleging it was responsible for the loss of 1100 lives fighting for Telangana and asked the voters not to trust the party.
(India Votes 2014: full coverage)Accusing the Congress of playing politics over the formation of Telangana, Mr Modi said the ruling party is not only responsible for "inflicting wounds" on Telugu spirit, but is also responsible for the loss of 1100 lives fighting for a separate state.
Mr Modi said he did not support the way the state was formed, though his party was committed to a separate Telangana. "Will you vote for a party that took the lives of 1100 people? They cannot do anything for you. Don't trust them in the elections. You need a doctor today who realises that Telangana and Seemandhra are two infants. Congress has killed the mother of these two states. Who will look after these infants"? Mr Modi said addressing a rally here.
Continuing his attack on the ruling party, he asked the voters not to get carried away by emotions and not to forget the 1100 lives lost. "When you go to vote, don't forget the Congress' 'khooni panja' which had rained bullets," he said.
The 'khooni panja' (bloodied hand) remark by Mr Modi came notwithstanding the Election Commission's direction to him last November against using such phrases.
Taking a strong note of Mr Modi's remarks at a rally in Chhattisgarh last November, which he claimed were used figuratively and as colloquial metaphors, the Election Commission had said it was not satisfied with his explanation in reply to its notice for Model Code violation.
The Election Commission had said, references to political adversaries with expressions such as 'khooni panja' and 'zalim haath' (ruthless hand) "cannot but be construed as injurious to the cause of decorous political discourse." The Congress, which has a hand as its party symbol, had lodged a complaint with the EC over Mr Modi's remarks.