Rahul – Tejashwi Voter Adhikar Yatra: Controversy over Raising Abusive Slogan against PM’s Mother

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Aug 28: The BJP on Thursday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi-led ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar had crossed all “limits of insult, hate and tastelessness” after a massive controversy erupted over some opposition leaders hurling abusive slogans against the late mother of the Prime Minister Narenda Modi when the rally was passing through Darbhanga district.

The incident occurred near NH-27 in Bithauli under Simri police station limits, where one of several stages for the yatra had been erected.

The BJP on its official X handle, refrained from posting the video of the incident, but clips shared online by a few accounts showed some unidentified people using a Hindi abuse for Mr Modi from a dais during the Yatra.

The video, which has gone viral, is purportedly of Darbhanga district from where the Yatra had taken off on Wednesday (August 27, 2025) morning, when Mr Gandhi, his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Vadra and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav left for Muzaffarpur on motorcycles.

Several podiums had been erected along the route for local party workers who tried to mobilise public sentiments in favour of the INDIA bloc ahead of assembly elections due later this year. The platform was reportedly set up by Mohammad Naushad, a local Congress leader and ticket aspirant for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. Neither Rahul Gandhi nor Priyanka Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav were present when the abusive slogans were allegedly raised.

A Congress leader said the person, who the party claims is yet to be identified, made the objectionable remarks around 11:30 am from the stage erected at Bithauli village under the Jale assembly segment. He was stopped by someone on stage, and the usual slogan of “Vote chor, gaddi chhor (vote thief, give up your throne)” was then used.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and other like-minded leaders, launched ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’ in poll-bound Bihar against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The incident triggered sharp political reactions, with Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha lashing out at the Congress. “The Congress will be dealt with in the same language they choose to understand,” Sinha warned.

From its official X handle, the BJP called the incident “extremely shameful” and added that people of Bihar would never forgive the Congress leader. “From the platform of Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav’s journey, extremely indecent language was used against the late mother of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji.” “Such depravity has never been seen before in politics. This journey has crossed all limits of insult, hatred, and vulgarity,” it added.

The BJP said Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav allowed the use of language so derogatory from their platform that it cannot even be repeated in public. “This is such a mistake that even if Rahul and Tejashwi beg for forgiveness a thousand times by holding their ears and doing sit-ups, the people of Bihar will not forgive them.”

The Congress, meanwhile, has distanced itself from the episode. Senior leader Rashid Alvi said the party did not endorse such remarks. “This act is definitely condemnable,” he said, adding that an inquiry was underway to verify the individual’s political links.

A senior Congress leader, however, said, “We cannot say who the people are whose voice is there in the video. Workers of at least half-a-dozen parties are taking part in the yatra.” The INDIA bloc, which is known in Bihar as Mahagathbandhan or grand alliance, includes three Left parties and former state minister Mukesh Sahni’s Vikassheel Insan Party.

Congress spokesperson Gyan Ranjan Gupta said, “We equally condemn the incident. Rahul Gandhi was not scheduled to address the public at Bithauli. The person needs to be identified and brought to book.”

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan slammed Mr Gandhi and Mr Yadav over the incident and said it was “extremely shameful and condemnable.” “The use of indecent language against the late mother of the Honourable Prime Minister Modi Ji is extremely shameful and condemnable. This language reflects the peak of hatred against Prime Minister Modi by Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav, including the entire INDI alliance. This hateful remark, coming from the election platform of RJD-Congress, is an insult to every Indian in Bihar and across the country who regards their mother as equivalent to God,” Mr Pradhan wrote in a post on X.

“After promoting those who insult Bihar, using such language against the late mother of the prime minister out of personal anger and hatred is proof of the hollow mentality and extreme despair of these leaders and parties,” he said. “The frustration of not receiving continuous blessings and support from the public is now clearly evident in the language and conduct of these leaders. The people of Bihar are watching everything. First, insulting Bihar, and now this insensitive and indecent behaviour regarding prime minister’s mother—the public will respond with the blow of their vote,” he added.

The ruling party claimed that the choice of such abusive words for his mother shows the state of the opposition’s desperation, as Mr Gandhi and Mr Yadav had earlier invited leaders like M.K. Stalin and Revanth Reddy, chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Telangana, respectively, who are accused of “insulting” people of Bihar.

BJP’s Darbhanga district chief Aditya Narayan Jha ‘Manna’ said, “We are not going to take this insult lying down. We have burnt effigies of Rahul and Tejashwi and are going to lodge a police complaint, seeking a probe and action against those involved in hurling expletives.”