Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday hit back at Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi disrespected her party chief Mallikarjun Kharge by not responding to his letter himself, saying she does not understand parliamentary traditions and standards.

Priyanka Gandhi, earlier in the day, charged Modi with disrespecting Kharge by not replying to the Congress president’s letter himself and said it is unfortunate that leaders in the highest positions have rejected great traditions of democracy.  BJP president J P Nadda had responded to the letter written by Kharge to Modi.

In his letter to Modi, the Congress chief had asserted that strict legal action should be taken against certain ministers for making objectionable statements so that Indian politics could be prevented from degenerating.

In his response, Nadda had accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of having a history of abusing Modi and the Other Backward Classes (OBC), and of siding with anti-India forces.

Hitting back at Priyanka Gandhi in a social media, Rijiju, the parliamentary affairs and minority affairs minister, said: “Mallikarjun Khargeji is Congress party president, and we respect him. J P Naddaji is national president of BJP. Is Congress party’s president above the BJP president? Mallikarjunji is leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha but JP Nadda ji is the leader of the House in Rajya Sabha! Is leader of opposition above leader of the house?”

Rijiju said he was responding only because “some people” think they are “above everyone in the country and no one else matters in the Congress party”.

“A lesson for someone who does not understand Parliamentary traditions and standards ... We all are citizens of India and we all are equals and do not impose dynastic culture on us.

“Don’t abuse someone who is much senior, has full lifetime experience in public life, and who is the prime minister of 140 crore Indians,” he said.

Priyanka Gandhi also said today’s politics is full of poison and the prime minister should have set a different example, keeping the dignity of his post in mind.

In a social media post in Hindi, Priyanka Gandhi said in view of the unrestrained and violent statements of some BJP leaders and ministers, Kharge wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, concerned about the safety of the life of Rahul Gandhi.

“If the Prime Minister had faith in democratic values, balanced dialogue and respect for elders, he would have himself replied to this letter.  Instead, he got a low-level and aggressive reply written by Nadda ji and sent it,” she said. What was the need to disrespect an 82-year-old senior public leader, Priyanka Gandhi asked.