Prime Minister Narendra Modi used a wordplay to attack the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party alliance, saying the first letters of the three parties spell 'sarab', prompting a furious reaction from the Opposition at the comparison with alcohol.

Terming the SP-RLD-BSP alliance in Uttar Pradesh 'mahamilavat', Modi compared the Opposition parties to 'sarab' - the Hindi word for liquor is 'sharab'. "The first letters of these three parties stand for 'sarab', which is bad for health," Modi said while launching BJP's rally from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. While the Congress asked Modi to apologise for comparing the parties to liquor, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav accused him of spreading the "intoxication of hatred", saying he didn't know the difference between 'sharab' and 'sarab' (mirage).