Former Rajya Sabha member and Congress leader Ashwani Kumar on Wednesday said that Union minister Uma Bharti's remark against Congress' Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is a "new low in political discourse."

Bharti had referred to Priyanka as "Chor ki Patni" (the wife of a thief) while talking to media in Chhattisgarh's Durg on Tuesday.

Kumar, while speaking to ANI, said, "This statement is a new low in political discourse, I have no words to adequately condemn such a reprehensible statement from a Union minister and a leader like Uma Bharti against a lady and a leader of a national party. Bharti's statement against Priyanka is condemnable as there is not even a whisper of wrongdoing against her nor her husband is found guilty."

"I think elections are not about winning or losing but about maintaining the civility and decorum to sustain democracy," he added.

On being asked about Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's claim of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's statement on Prime Minister Narendra Modi being Congress' ploy, the former Rajya Sabha member said, "Her statement is laughable and is a joke. BJP has a lot to explain regarding what they did with Pakistan."

"The BJP has made it a practice to attack self-respect of opposition leaders. The party has brought down the level of political discourse. In the Lok Sabha Elections, the people will give a strong reply to BJP for their low-level remarks in political discourse," he added.

Sitharaman on Wednesday alleged that Khan's statement 'that there may be a better chance of India-Pak peace talks and settling of the Kashmir issue if the BJP is voted back to power', is a ploy by Congress to oust Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government from the Centre.

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