Thiruvananthapuram, March 29: Union defence minister A.K. Antony today termed as “inappropriate”’ Narendra Modi’s barb likening him to a “Pakistani agent’ and said his comments will demoralise the country’s armed forces.

Antony, however, chose to dismiss the personal tirade and focused on Modi’s reference to the AK-47. “A leader who is going day and night all over the country to be Prime Minister, do you think it is appropriate…this statement about AK-47, what do you think?

“Will it not demoralise the armed forces who are guarding the border areas even at the cost of sacrificing their lives? Is it proper on the part of a leader just to get some cheap popularity or to get a few votes to demoralise the Indian armed forces? I don’t think any true patriot will make such a comment. I’m sorry about that,” Antony said.

Stressing that he was not pained personally, the senior Congress leader added: “Actually, this kind of utterances about our weapons can demoralise the armed forces and I’m sad about that. It indirectly helps the enemy. No true patriot will make such a statement.’’

Antony also defended his role as defence minister, saying he had acted tough on corruption even while ensuring that modernisation of the armed forces did not suffer.

“All cases, whenever allegations came to our notice… our track record is that we took actions. Not mild action, strong action, strongest action. No other government has taken such serious strong action. We blacklisted six of the world’s very powerful companies, cancelled many contracts. That is also (used for) an attack on me – that cancelling contract is slackening modernisation.

“So if I cancel contract, there is allegations, if I take one month time to take action, there is complaint. Modernisation is on track,” the minister said.