New Delhi, Nov 22 (PTI) The BJP on Wednesday stepped up its protest against Rahul Gandhi for his 'panauti' jibe against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged the Election Commission to take action against the Congress leader.

A party delegation, which included its general secretary Radha Mohan Das Agarwal and another functionary Om Pathak, also sought the poll watchdog's action against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, accusing him of falsely claiming that Modi's caste was included in Gujarat's OBC list when he was the state chief minister.

The Ghanchi caste, a community traditionally employed in oil pressing, was included in the OBC list in 1999 while Modi became chief minister in 2001, Pathak said.

'We request the Election Commission to intervene urgently by taking appropriate legal action against Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi for their continued fraudulent, baseless and abusive practice and to pass a prohibitory order against them,' the BJP delegation said in its communication to the EC.

Otherwise, it will spoil the electoral environment, where 'abusing, usage of objectionable and offensive language to defame respectable individuals and spreading false news will become inevitable', it added.

Gandhi, in a poll speech in Rajasthan, had used the 'panauti' barb against Modi after India lost to Australia in the World Cup cricket final in Ahmedabad, a match attended by the prime minister.

A Hindi slang, panauti loosely refers to someone who brings bad luck.

Agarwal attacked Gandhi, calling him a 'senseless and valueless' politician, and asserted that Modi is respected by world leaders. PTI KR RT RT