Kharge’s ‘Baap’ Remark Sparks BJP-Congress Showdown, Nationwide Protests Planned

The BJP and the Congress on Monday continued trading accusations over Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge ’s controversial remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh describing them as “ extremely unfortunate ” and accusing the opposition party of suffering an ideological decline.

Kharge triggered the controversy on Sunday during an event in Patna marking the 139th birth anniversary of Bihar’s first chief minister, Shrikrishna Singh. Speaking about alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, he warned that those responsible would be sent to jail.

When an audience member interrupted him, saying Modi would not leave power unless there was a rebellion, Kharge retorted, “Modi ka baap bhi jayega.”

Reacting to the remarks, Rajnath Singh said they had hurt the sentiments of crores of Indians and accused the Congress of turning political differences into personal insults. He said democratic opposition should focus on questioning government policies without crossing personal boundaries.

The defence minister also criticised the Congress for defending Kharge instead of acknowledging the alleged impropriety and expressing regret. He asserted that such remarks would neither distract Modi nor weaken his resolve to serve the public.

The BJP strongly condemned Kharge’s statement, with party president Nitin Nabin accusing the Congress of abandoning political decorum. Union Home Minister Amit Shah alleged that repeated electoral defeats had left the opposition frustrated and reliant on personal attacks.

BJP leaders J P Nadda, Sambit Patra and Ravi Shankar Prasad also criticised the Congress chief. The ruling party announced nationwide protests at state headquarters on Monday and demanded an apology from the Congress leadership.

The Congress, however, defended Kharge, offering a different account of the exchange. Party spokesperson Pawan Khera alleged that a BJP worker had first insulted Kharge’s late father during the Patna event.

Khera said Kharge’s response referred to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as Modi’s “ideological father” and was intended to convey that both the prime minister and the organisation would eventually leave power. He accused the BJP of provoking the exchange before attacking the Congress president.