Jeremy Corbyn said he had been the victim of personal attacks from Labour MPs as a senior backencher described him as "devious".
The embattled Labour leader condemned his supporters who had attacked hostile MPs online, including leadership challenger Angela Eagle.
But he also said he had been the recipient of "very unpleasant" criticism from his own MPs which was "almost never political".
Read more: Jeremy Corbyn 'probably would' back contempt motion against Tony Blair over Iraq
Mr Corbyn's comments came as senior backbencher Dame Margaret Hodge tore into the leader in a BBC Radio 4 interview.
She told Broadcasting House: "I used to think he was a decent man. I am beginning to think he is actually a devious man who is more concerned with destroying the Labour Party than he is with creating a force that can win an election in such difficult times and which will unite the party."
Rebel Labour MPs have been targeted on social media by activists supporting Mr Corbyn and the party leader was challenged about the abuse as he appeared on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show.
Read more: Angela Eagle: Corbyn's 'hiding behind a closed door' over calls to quit
Mr Corbyn said: "Nobody does vile abuse in my name with my approval, my support. I absolutely totally condemn it in every way, just as much as any abuse that's hurled at me or anybody else. It's simply wrong. I urge people to engage in political debate, not media abuse of any sort."
Challenged about comments aimed at Ms Eagle describing her as a "treacherous bitch" and a "Tory-supporting weasel", Mr Corbyn said that was "totally unacceptable language".
Read more: Corbyn defiant as Eagle challenges for Labour leadership
He added: "I've made it very clear that debate should be respectful, debate should be polite, debate should be political. And I have to say that much of the criticism that's levelled at me by Members of Parliament, some of it very unpleasant and some of it very public, is almost never political. Never political."
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