Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said he would rather die than insult Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s family. Gandhi’s comments came in response to Modi’s comments against his father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

“Modi ji talks with hatred,” Gandhi said at a rally in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. “He insults my father, grandmother, great grandfather. But I will never in my life speak about his family, his mother and father. I will die, but will never insult his mother and father.”

Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party have been attacking the Gandhi-Nehru family during election campaigns for the Lok Sabha. Over the last few weeks, Modi alleged that Rajiv Gandhi had used the warship INS Viraat to go on a vacation with his family when he was the prime minister, and also claimed that he died a corrupt man.

Rahul Gandhi said he will defeat Modi with love. “This is because I am not a RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh] or BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] man, but belong to the Congress,” said Gandhi. “I will return him love if hatred is thrown at me...We will defeat Modi ji with love, hugging you.”