India, April 22 -- Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge sparked a political row on Tuesday by calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "terrorist", a remark he later clarified as accusing the PM of "terrorising" political parties.

The controversial remark sparked strong condemnation from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, who dubbed the comment an "insult" not only to Modi but to 1.4 billion Indians. The BJP also complained to the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging that the comment was defamatory and violated the model code of conduct.

The row erupted on the last day of campaigning for the April 23 Tamil Nadu assembly polls.

Addressing a press conference in Chennai, hours after holding a roadshow to garner support for the D...