New Delhi: Congress on Sunday moved quickly to clarify party chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s controversial “Modi ka baap bhi jayega” remark in Patna, insisting it was aimed not at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s father but at the RSS — whom it described as Modi’s “ideological father”, PTI reported.
The explanation came as the BJP launched a fierce attack, accusing Kharge of crossing every limit of political decency.
Defending Kharge, Congress media and publicity department head Pawan Khera alleged that the provocation had come first from a BJP worker, who he claimed insulted the Congress president’s late father while he was speaking.
“The BJP hatches new conspiracies everyday. A few days ago after Kharge ji’s speech, a despicable thing such as purification was carried out. Today in Bihar, when Kharge ji was giving a speech, a BJP worker insulted Kharge ji’s father by saying that ‘agar aapke baap bhi aa jayenge toh Modi nahi jayega’.”
Khera said Kharge’s response was not aimed at the Prime Minister’s family but at the RSS. “After that Kharge ji referred to Modi ji’s ideological father, the RSS, stating not only Modi ji will go but the RSS will also go. After such a disgusting act (insulting Kharge), they are now in turn accusing Kharge ji,” he said.
The Congress leader further alleged that this was not an isolated incident. “He (Kharge) is a very senior leader in the country…this is the second time they (BJP) have insulted him,” Khera told PTI Videos, referring to what the party described as a “despicable act of purification” in Uttarakhand in August, after Kharge had addressed a rally there.
BJP Demands Accountability
The BJP, however, dismissed the Congress’s explanation and launched a sharp attack on Kharge, saying his language towards the Prime Minister was “indecent”, “unparliamentary” and reflective of a deeper ideological crisis within the Opposition party.
BJP chief Nitin Nabin said the people of the country were closely watching what he called “indecent politics” and would respond appropriately at the right time.
“The kind of indecent and unparliamentary language used today in Patna by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge towards the country’s honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji reflects the Congress party’s ideological bankruptcy,” he said on X.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also condemned the remark, accusing the Congress chief of destroying established standards of political conduct. “Kharge has today torn apart all norms of decorum by making an indecent remark about Modi ji’s father in Patna,” Shah said.