Congress accuses Modi of insulting prime minister

The Congress Sunday accused Narendra Modi of "insulting" Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying that the BJP leader had chosen to believe a Pakistan journalist about purported remarks of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif about his Indian counterpart.

Congress communication department chairman Ajay Maken said Modi had "quoted the story" of Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir in his public rally here Sunday, but said it was surprising that he did not ask Indian journalists about Sharif's remarks.

"Narendra Modi quoted the story of Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir ... It is very surprising that Modi who calls himself a nationalist, didn't ask Indian journalists and believed the journalist from Pakistan. It is Narendra Modi who has insulted the prime minister," Maken said.

Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 general elections, said at the rally that Sharif had described Manmohan Singh as a "dehati aurat" (rural woman) during a meeting in New York with Indian and Pakistani journalists.

Modi also accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of insulting Manmohan Singh by ridiculing a government-backed ordinance on convicted lawmakers.