BENGALURU: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday staged a protest in Bengaluru against Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge’s remarks, following which police detained the protesters.
The controversy erupted during an address by Mallikarjun Kharge at the 139th birth anniversary celebrations of Bihar’s first Chief Minister, Dr Krishna Singh, in Patna.
A commotion broke out when an attendee in the gathering interrupted Kharge by stating that PM Modi would not go anywhere, prompting the Congress president to retort from the stage, “Modi ka baap bhi jayega” (Even Modi’s father will have to go).
ದೇಶದ ಹೆಮ್ಮೆಯ ಪ್ರಧಾನಿ ಶ್ರೀ ನರೇಂದ್ರ ಮೋದಿ ಅವರ ದಿವಂಗತ ತಂದೆಯವರ ಕುರಿತು ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷ ಮಲ್ಲಿಕಾರ್ಜುನ ಖರ್ಗೆ ಅವರು ನೀಡಿರುವ ಕೀಳುಮಟ್ಟದ ಹೇಳಿಕೆ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಖಂಡನೀಯ.
ಸರಣಿ ಚುನಾವಣಾ ಸೋಲುಗಳಿಂದ ದಿಕ್ಕೆಟ್ಟಿರುವ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್, ಇಂದು ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಮಿತಿಗಳನ್ನು ಮೀರಿ ವೈಯಕ್ತಿಕ ನಿಂದನೆಗೆ ಇಳಿದಿದೆ. ಇದು ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಪಕ್ಷದ ಹತಾಶೆ ಮತ್ತು ಬೌದ್ಧಿಕ ದಿವಾಳಿತನವನ್ನು ತೋರಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.
ಮಲ್ಲಿಕಾರ್ಜುನ ಖರ್ಗೆ ಅವರೇ, ನಿಮ್ಮ ಈ ಕೀಳುಮಟ್ಟದ ರಾಜಕೀಯ ಭಾಷೆಗೆ ದೇಶದ ಜನರೇ ತಕ್ಕ ಉತ್ತರ ನೀಡಲಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ರಾಜಕೀಯ ವಿರೋಧವಿರಲಿ, ಆದರೆ ವೈಯಕ್ತಿಕ ದ್ವೇಷ ಸಲ್ಲದು. ಖರ್ಗೆ ಅವರೇ, ದೇಶದ ಜನತೆಯ ಮುಂದೆ ತಕ್ಷಣ ಕ್ಷಮೆಯಾಚಿಸಿ.
— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) October 26, 2026
Earlier in the day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh criticised Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over his remark about the late father of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing shock and hurt and accusing the Congress of defending the statement instead of expressing regret.
Speaking to the media, Singh said Kharge’s remark had hurt the sentiments of crores of people and raised questions about the political culture of the Congress.
“Yesterday, in Patna, a remark made by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge about the late father of Prime Minister Narendra Modi left me shocked and deeply hurt. The most shocking aspect of this entire episode is that the remark was not made by an ordinary Congress worker or a young leader. It was made by the national president of a party that calls itself the country’s oldest political party. Through his conduct, the Congress president has hurt the sentiments of crores of people across the country. However, the Congress leaders did not stop there. The Congress party is now further hurting people’s sentiments by justifying Mr Kharge’s words. Instead of admitting its mistake and expressing regret, the Congress is busy defending and justifying the statement”, Singh said.
#WATCH | Delhi: On Mallikarjun Kharge’s remarks, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh says, “It is deeply distressing. The remarks made yesterday in Patna by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge about Prime Minister Modi’s late father have left me shocked and deeply hurt. What is most shocking about this entire episode is that these comments were not made by some ordinary Congress worker or a youth leader, but by the national president of a party that claims to be the oldest political party in the country. Through his conduct, the Congress President has hurt the sentiments of crores of our countrymen. But the Congress did not stop there; they are now further hurting people’s sentiments by attempting to justify Kharge ji’s words. Instead of acknowledging their mistake and expressing regret, the Congress is busy defending and validating this statement…”
— ANI (@ANI) October 26, 2026
Meanwhile, Saharanpur Congress MP Imran Masood strongly defended party national president Mallikarjun Kharge following a political row over Kharge’s recent remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s father, asserting that the opposition will no longer remain silent against verbal attacks.
Masood justified Kharge’s fiery retort made during a public gathering in Patna, Bihar, arguing that top BJP leaders have repeatedly lowered the standard of political discourse without facing accountability. (ANI)
