K'taka Cong withdraws tweet calling PM 'angootha chhaap', expresses regret

Bengaluru: Karnataka Congress leader D K Shivakumar on Monday "regretted" the "illiterate Modi" tweet by the Karnataka Congress Twitter account, saying that parliamentary language is a non-negotiable pre-requisite for political discourse.

"I have always believed that civil and parliamentary language is a non-negotiable pre-requisite for political discourse. An uncivil tweet made by a novice social media manager through the Karnataka Congress official Twitter handle is regretted and stands withdrawn," he tweeted late on Monday.

The tweet by Karnataka Congress terming Narendra Modi "#HebbettuGiraakiModi" meaning the belittling Hindi expression ‘angootha chhaap' went viral on social media drawing wrath from netizens and BJP sympathisers.

“Congress built schools, but Modi didn’t study. There was an adult education programme and still Modi didn’t study. Despite the prohibition of beggary, those who chose the lazy life of begging have pushed citizens of this country towards poverty. The country is suffering because of #HebbettuGiraakiModi,” the Congress said in a now-deleted tweet.

The tweet was part of a series slamming PM Modi with the hashtag. 

The saffron party hit back saying, “Yes, our PM is different from your leaders. As PM, he didn’t light a woman’s cigarette, didn’t dance in a bar and hasn’t been caught transporting drugs. His is a life dedicated to the nation, not his family,” the BJP said.