New Delhi, 15 Dec

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday sought an apology from Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for their party workers' alleged threat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's life.

At a hurriedly called press conference here, Rijiju alleged that at Sunday's Congress rally in the national capital, some party workers had threatened to dig the grave of the Prime Minister, which was the "most unfortunate and tragic" thing to happen in Indian democracy.

"Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi should tender an apology for the Congress workers' threat to the life of the Prime Minister. They should tender the apology on the floor of both Houses of Parliament. It is most unfortunate and tragic that Congress workers openly declared to dig the grave of Prime Minister Modi," he said.

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister said the workers and leaders of the Congress and the BJP are political rivals, not enemies. "We propagate different ideologies but work together for a developed India as dreamt by Prime Minister Modi," he said.

Rijiju said the political leaders wish each other in public despite political fights, which are separate issues, and leaders criticise each other in different ways.

"We oppose each other differently. We never think of killing each other, nor do we talk about that. What kind of mentality is this? What kind of practice is this where some people are threatening to kill political rivals openly?" he posed.

Rijiju said Modi is the prime minister of 140 crore people, the prime minister of the largest democracy in the world.

"The whole world respects PM Modi, the whole of India respects PM Modi. But if some people in the opposition threaten to kill the prime minister, it is most unfortunate and tragic. It will not end by just condemning the incident.

"In Parliament, the Congress president (Kharge) and the Leader of Opposition (Rahul Gandhi) should tender an apology. They should tender an apology to the country on the floor of Parliament," he said.

Rijiju said if there is any humanity left in the Congress and if they respect the people of the country, they should immediately tender an apology in both houses of Parliament.

"Then only will we accept that they have admitted their mistake. Abusing a prime minister is not acceptable in a decent society. The prime minister has always said that we never consider the opposition as enemies but as political opponents.

"We are all working for the country. But to openly declare taking the life of the honourable prime minister, to dig the grave of Modi ji, is the most unfortunate thing we have seen in the political history of India," he said.

Stepping up the campaign on the issue of alleged election irregularities, top Congress leaders on Sunday attacked the BJP and the election commissioners at a 'Vote Chor Gaddi Chhod' rally in the national capital, alleging that "vote chori" is in the ruling party's DNA and its leaders were "gaddar" who were conspiring to take away voting rights of people and should be removed from power.