Darrang (Assam) [India], September 14 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday slammed Congress for 'insulting' legendary singer Bhupen Hazarika.

Referring to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's remarks back in 2019, PM Modi said that he can tolerate 'gaaliyan' (abuses) hurled at him but not at 'Bhupen Da'.

Addressing a public meeting in Assam's Darrang, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, 'Mujhe kitne hi gaaliya de, main bhagwan Shiv ka bhakt hoon, saara zehar nigal leta hoon (No matter how much you abuse me, I am a devotee of Lord Shiva, I swallow all the poison). But when someone else is insulted, I cannot tolerate that.'

'You people tell me, is my decision of honouring Bhupen Da with Bharat Ratna right or wrong? Is the insult done by the Congress party for honouring him with Bharat Ratna right or wrong?' he asked.

He added that he was 'deeply hurt' at Congress chief Kharge's remarks questioning Bharat Ratna for a singer.

He said, 'We have already celebrated the birthday of Bharat Ratna Sudhakantha Bhupen Hazarika Ji. Yesterday, I got the opportunity to be a part of a very big program organised in his honour. The Chief Minister showed me a video of the President of the Congress Party, and I was deeply hurt after seeing this. The day the Government of India gave Bharat Ratna to the great son of this country, the pride of Assam, Bhupen Hazarika Ji. The President of the Congress Party had said that Modi is giving Bharat Ratna to dancers and singers.'

'After the war with China in 1962, what Pandit Nehru said, those wounds of the people of the North East have not been healed even today,' PM Modi added.

Back in 2019, when the Narendra Modi-led government conferred Bharat Ratna to Bhupen Hazarika, Mallikarjun Kharge had questioned the decision, demanding the honour for Shivakumara Swami, an iconic Lingayat seer.

Speaking to ANI, Kharge had said, 'The government had seen his (Shivakumara Swami) work. Even then the BJP government did not give him the award. This is sad. A singer and a man who propagated RSS ideology have also been awarded. If you compare all of them, then Shivakumara Swami Ji should have been given the award.'

Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Prime Minister paid tribute to the legendary singer during his birth centenary celebrations in Guwahati and said 'Bhupen Da' kept giving voice to the unity of India even during the difficult times when North East was 'left to burn in the fire of violence and separatism.' (ANI)