Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 26: The BJP on Monday launched a nation-wide protest demonstrations to condemns the Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged defamatory remarks against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s father during a political speech in Patna on Sunday.
Pouncing on Mr Kharge, the BJP has condemned the remark and announced protests across the country on Monday. A BJP worker has also filed a police complaint against Kharge in Patna, demanding an apology within 24 hours.
The fresh confrontation between the two political arch rivals triggered from Mr Kharge’s remarks bringing the language used by political leaders back into focus. The controversy unfolded during a programme in Patna marking the 139th birth anniversary of Shri Krishna Singh, Bihar’s first chief minister.
Mr Kharge was addressing the gathering when an audience member interrupted him with a remark about Modi staying on in power, “Modi Nahi Jayega.” An irked Kharge retorted, “Modi ka baap bhi jayega”, which translates roughly to “Even Modi’s father will have to go.” The Congress president repeated the remark, prompting a commotion at the venue.
The exchange came during a speech in which Kharge had criticised the BJP-led government and raised allegations about irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He said the Congress would send those allegedly involved in such irregularities to jail.
The Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal on Monday defended Mr Kharge’s remark claiming that his party president’s comment was directed against Mr Modi’s “ideological father” which was RSS and not his biological father. “It was an ideological attack, not personal,” Mr Venugopal said.
“I think Kharge ji means that ideologically. Ideologically, of these BJP people, the parent is the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and Kharge ji means that only. That’s what I understood. Who represents that ideology? The RSS. That’s what Kharge ji means.
“You see, what did they do against Kharge ji? Purification exercise. He [Kharge] comes from a marginalised background; he went for a program, and after the program, a purification exercise was done. What does it mean?” “This [Kharge’s remark] was an ideological attack he had done, not any personal attack. He meant the RSS. That’s all,” Mr Venugopal said.
The man involved in the exchange with Mr Kharge at the Patna meeting was later identified as Santosh Kumar who also clarified that his words had been misunderstood. He said he remarked that PM Modi would not leave office unless there was a revolt, but that only part of his sentence had been heard.
The BJP has described Kharge’s remark as insulting and inappropriate, arguing that political disagreements should not extend to personal comments about a leader’s family. The party announced nationwide demonstrations for Monday asking its state units to organise protests at their respective headquarters.
In Bihar, the BJP also announced a separate protest programme in Patna, including a march from the party headquarters and the burning of an effigy.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah criticised Kharge in a post on X, accusing the Congress president of crossing the limits of political decorum. Shah also targeted the Congress leadership, arguing that repeated electoral defeats had contributed to the party’s political approach.
The BJP has framed the controversy as part of a broader pattern of personal attacks against PM Modi and his family. Its response has moved beyond criticism on social media, with the party mobilising workers for demonstrations across the country.
On Sunday evening, BJP worker Krishna Kumar Singh also filed a complaint against Kharge at Patna’s Kotwali police station over the remark. According to reports, the complaint was to be transferred to Gandhi Maidan police station because the incident falls under its jurisdiction. Singh demanded that Kharge apologise within 24 hours.
Congress MP Imran Masood also defended Kharge’s remark, saying it was justified and in the same language as used by BJP leaders earlier. His response reflects the political divide over whether Kharge’s words crossed a line or were a reaction to the interruption.
The BJP-Congress confrontation highlights a recurring tension in Indian politics: how can leaders sharply criticise their opponents without turning political disagreements into personal attacks?
For the BJP, Kharge’s remark crossed a line by bringing the Prime Minister’s family into the exchange. Congress supporters, meanwhile, have defended his response in the context of the interruption and the wider political dispute.
The incident also shows how a brief exchange at a public event can quickly expand into a national political controversy, prompting party statements, public criticism, protests and a police complaint.