A fresh political confrontation has erupted between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress following remarks made by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge during a public gathering in Patna. While addressing an event commemorating the 139th birth anniversary of Bihar’s first Chief Minister, Shri Krishna Singh, on Sunday, Kharge engaged in a heated exchange with an audience member that has drawn widespread condemnation from the ruling party.
The controversy stems from Kharge’s response to a man in the crowd, identified as Santosh Kumar, who shouted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not leave office. Kharge replied, “Modi ka baap bhi jayega,” which translates to “Even Modi’s father will go.” The Congress leader reportedly repeated the phrase twice during his address, triggering an immediate commotion at the venue. Reports indicate that the man who interjected was subsequently surrounded and beaten by those present before being removed from the hall.
Following the incident, Santosh Kumar claimed that his words had been misunderstood. He stated that he had actually intended to say that the Prime Minister would not leave power unless there was a revolt, asserting that only a portion of his statement was heard. Despite this clarification, the impact of Kharge’s comments has dominated the national political discourse.
BJP leadership swiftly hit back at the Congress president. Nitin Nabin, a senior BJP figure, accused Kharge of displaying “ideological bankruptcy” and using “indecent and unparliamentary language.” Nabin further alleged that dragging the deceased family members of political opponents into public speeches has become a standard practice for the current Opposition leadership. He argued that the Congress resorts to such personal attacks because it lacks substantive issues regarding development, government policy, and welfare schemes to debate on public platforms.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also escalated the criticism, accusing the Congress president of crossing all limits of political decorum. Shah claimed that under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, the party has increasingly relied on abusive language and personal targeting rather than policy-based discourse. Similarly, Union Minister Giriraj Singh expressed his disapproval, stating that he previously believed such rhetoric was limited to a few individuals within the Congress, but now appears to view it as a broader trend within the party’s leadership.
The remarks were made during a speech where Kharge was also vocal against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the central government’s handling of electoral matters. The Congress chief had called for a cessation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and advocated for a return to the use of ballot papers in elections. These criticisms, coupled with the controversial personal remark, have intensified the divide between the two parties.
In response to the incident, the BJP has begun organizing protests across the country to condemn Kharge’s statement. As the political temperature rises, the episode highlights the increasingly volatile nature of rhetoric between the ruling party and the opposition, with both sides trading accusations of lowering the standards of public debate. The incident remains a significant point of contention as both parties continue to prepare for future electoral challenges.
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