Mumbai, September 13: Triggering a controversy, Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam on Wednesday called Narendra Modi "illiterate", while criticising the state government's decision to screen a short film on the prime minister's life at schools in Maharashtra.

His comment drew sharp reaction from BJP leaders with the party's Maharashtra unit spokesperson Shaina NC calling Nirupam "mentally deranged."

"The decision to screen the film forcibly is wrong. Children should be kept away from politics. What will students learn from watching a film on an uneducated and illiterate person like Modi," the Congress leader told a news channel.

"Children and people do not know how many degrees the prime minister holds," he said.

Later, asked by reporters about his choice of words, Nirupam said the ruling party need not object to each and every word, and "in democracy the prime minister is not god".

Reacting to Nirupam's remarks, Shaina NC tweeted, "Yet another abnoxious comment by a mentally deranged @sanjaynirupam . May be he forgets that @narendramodi is elected by 125 cr Indians who aren't "unpad or gavar".@INCIndia is devoid of ideology and relevant questions. Sure citizens will give a befitting reply in 2019 (sic)."

A day after, economic offender Vijay Mallya claimed that he had a meeting with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley before leaving for London, Congress president Rahul Gandhi questioned the motive of the meeting. In a press conference, Gandhi launched a fresh salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jaitley. Rahul Gandhi Takes Dig At Arun Jaitley For Meeting Vijay Mallya; Says, 'Finance Minister Colluded In A Criminal Running From Country.

PM Narendra Modi, while speaking to BJP booth level workers on Thursday targeted the Gandhi family and said that  "I often feel sympathy for old Congress workers who struggled and worked on grounds for the party. Their entire struggle and support are being used for a single family. Best people were sacrificed for the interest of that family." (With Agency Inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 13, 2018 02:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).