The political clash between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress has intensified after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge made a controversial remark at a public event in Patna on 25 October. The comment, made while responding to an audience member, prompted the BJP to call for nationwide protests and demand an apology from both Kharge and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
On 26 October, BJP workers held demonstrations in several cities, including Delhi, Patna, Bengaluru, Lucknow and Jammu. Protesters raised slogans against the Congress leadership, while some demonstrations included marches and the burning of effigies or posters. In Bengaluru, police detained several BJP leaders and workers during one of the protests.
The BJP accused Kharge of insulting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s late father, arguing that political disagreements should not extend to a leader’s family. The Congress rejected that interpretation, saying Kharge was responding to an interruption and referring to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which the party describes as Modi’s ideological parent.
The dispute has since moved beyond political statements and street protests. A BJP worker has also filed a police complaint in Patna, adding a legal dimension to the controversy. However, the complaint alone does not establish that a criminal offence has taken place.
WHAT HAPPENED IN PATNA?
The controversy began at an event marking the 139th birth anniversary of Shri Krishna Singh, Bihar’s first chief minister. During his address, Kharge criticised the BJP-led government and raised concerns about alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
During the speech, an audience member reportedly interrupted with a remark suggesting that Prime Minister Modi would not leave office. Kharge responded with the Hindi phrase, “Modi ka baap bhi jayega,” which translates roughly as “Even Modi’s father will go.”
The remark quickly became the centre of a political dispute. BJP leaders described it as an insult to the Prime Minister’s late father and argued that criticism of a government should not involve a leader’s family.
The Congress offered a different explanation. Party spokesperson Pawan Khera said Kharge had been responding to an audience member who had first made a remark about Kharge’s own father. According to Khera, Kharge was referring to Modi’s “ideological father”—the RSS—rather than his biological father.
The two parties continue to disagree over both the context of the exchange and what Kharge intended to convey. While the remark triggered a clear political confrontation, its intended meaning remains disputed.
BJP TAKES THE CONTROVERSY TO THE STREETS
The BJP responded by mobilising party workers in several states and demanding an apology from Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. Senior party leaders argued that political criticism should not cross what they consider acceptable limits of public discourse.
In Delhi, BJP workers demonstrated near Kharge’s residence. Police stopped protesters as they attempted to march towards the property.
In Patna, Bihar BJP president Sanjay Saraogi led a “Jan Akrosh March” from the party headquarters towards Income Tax Golambar. Demonstrators burned an effigy of the Congress president during the protest.
Similar demonstrations took place in Bengaluru, Lucknow and Jammu. In Bengaluru, police detained several BJP leaders and workers. Protesters in Jammu also burned posters and raised slogans against Kharge and the Congress leadership.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh criticised Kharge’s remarks. BJP leaders said the episode reflected a decline in political standards and accused Congress leaders of defending language they considered unacceptable.
The protests have also allowed the BJP to take the dispute beyond the original speech, turning it into a broader confrontation over political conduct and accountability.
CONGRESS DEFENDS KHARGE AND CHALLENGES BJP’S ACCOUNT
The Congress has rejected the BJP’s description of the incident, arguing that Kharge’s words should be understood in the context of the exchange that preceded them.
Pawan Khera said Kharge was responding to an audience member and that his reference was to the RSS as Modi’s ideological parent. The Congress also alleged that the person who interrupted Kharge had first made a disrespectful comment about his father.
The explanation has done little to calm the dispute. The BJP continues to describe the remark as offensive, while Congress leaders maintain that the ruling party is ignoring the circumstances in which it was made.
The episode highlights how the same political exchange can be presented very differently by rival parties. Understanding the full context matters, although context alone does not settle whether the language used was appropriate.
It also raises a broader question about political accountability: should public remarks be judged by their literal meaning, the circumstances in which they were made, or a combination of both?
POLICE COMPLAINT ADDS A LEGAL DIMENSION
A BJP worker identified in reports as Krishna Kumar Singh filed a police complaint in Patna over Kharge’s remarks. According to The New Indian Express, the complaint was initially submitted at Kotwali police station and was expected to be transferred to Gandhi Maidan police station because the incident occurred within its jurisdiction.
The complainant reportedly demanded an apology within 24 hours.
The complaint adds a legal element to what remains primarily a political dispute. However, filing a complaint is not the same as establishing that a crime has occurred. Any further action will depend on the police assessment, the applicable law and the facts established during the process.
There is also an important distinction between political demands and legal obligations. The BJP’s demand for an apology is a political position; it does not, by itself, create a legal requirement for Kharge to apologise.
The developments reported so far include the protests, the competing explanations offered by the two parties and the filing of the complaint. Any subsequent police decision or court finding would need to be assessed separately.
WHY THIS CONTROVERSY MATTERS
1. Political language is back in the spotlight
Sharp personal exchanges are common in Indian politics, particularly during confrontations between the BJP and Congress. This incident has renewed debate over where forceful political criticism ends and personal insult begins.
The BJP has framed the remark as an attack on the dignity of the Prime Minister’s family. The Congress, meanwhile, has focused on the circumstances of the exchange and its claim that Kharge was referring to the RSS.
2. The original policy debate risks being overshadowed
Kharge’s speech also addressed the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, an issue related to voter registration and election administration.
The controversy over his words has shifted attention away from those concerns. For voters, questions about electoral procedures and their implementation remain important, regardless of the political dispute surrounding the speech.
3. Both parties are defending their own interpretations
The BJP has used the incident to argue that the Congress crossed the boundaries of acceptable political discourse. The Congress has countered that the BJP is overlooking the context of the exchange and diverting attention from the issues Kharge raised.
These are competing political interpretations, not independently established conclusions. The available evidence needs to be considered separately from the arguments each party is making.
RISKS
1. Further escalation between the BJP and Congress
Continued accusations and public criticism could deepen tensions between the two parties and leave less room for constructive political debate.
2. Protests becoming confrontational
Demonstrations can give political supporters a way to express their views, but large gatherings can also lead to clashes, disruption or police intervention. The reported detentions in Bengaluru illustrate how protests can result in confrontations with authorities.
3. The context getting lost in political messaging
Short clips and excerpts from speeches can spread quickly without showing the full exchange. When that happens, audiences may struggle to distinguish the original words from the interpretations offered by political parties.
4. Allegations being mistaken for legal findings
The police complaint could remain part of the political debate. Any reporting on the case should clearly distinguish between the filing of a complaint, subsequent police action and a possible judicial decision.
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Kharge’s response: Whether he offers a clarification, apology or further explanation could shape the next stage of the controversy.
The Congress leadership’s position: Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders may respond to the BJP’s demands and reiterate the party’s interpretation of the exchange.
Police action in Patna: Any formal decision on the complaint will be important to follow, while keeping it separate from political demands for an apology.
Further BJP demonstrations: Additional protests would indicate whether the party intends to keep the issue in the spotlight as part of a wider campaign against the Congress.
The electoral-roll debate: Attention may return to the SIR process and the concerns Kharge raised during his speech, which formed part of the original dispute.
FACT CHECK METER
96% — Confidence in the core reported timeline
Status: Core events reported; context disputed
What published reports support
Kharge made the controversial remark during an event in Patna on 25 October 2026.
The BJP announced nationwide protests, with demonstrations reported in several cities on 26 October.
A BJP worker filed a police complaint in Patna.
The BJP and Congress offered different explanations of the exchange.
Important distinctions
The BJP’s description of the remark as an insult is its political assessment, not a legal finding.
The Congress’s claim that Kharge was referring to the RSS as Modi’s ideological parent is the party’s explanation of his intent.
The police complaint does not establish guilt or prove that a criminal offence occurred.
Reports of demonstrations in several cities do not establish that every BJP unit nationwide held a protest.
AWX verdict: Published reports support the main timeline of the remark, protests and police complaint. The context and intended meaning remain contested and should be attributed to the parties rather than presented as settled fact.
THE AWX BOTTOM LINE
A brief exchange at a Patna event has turned into a wider confrontation between the BJP and Congress. Protests across several cities, demands for an apology and a police complaint have kept Mallikarjun Kharge’s remarks at the centre of the political debate.
The key is to separate what happened from what the two parties say it means. The remark was reported, the BJP organised demonstrations, and a complaint was filed. But the parties disagree over the context and intended meaning, and the complaint is not a finding of guilt.
The next stage will depend on Kharge’s response, any further political mobilisation and whether the police take additional action. The controversy also serves as a reminder of how quickly a remark at a public gathering can become a national political issue, particularly when rival parties offer sharply different accounts of what was meant.
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