BJP to protest across India over Kharge's remark on Modi's father; complaint filed in Patna

The BJP has announced protests in every state on Monday against Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge. The party objects to a remark he made in Patna about the late father of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A complaint has also been lodged against Kharge with the police in the Bihar capital.

The row began at a public meeting held on Sunday at Bapu Sabhagar in Patna. Kharge was attacking the Union government, the BJP and the RSS when a man in the audience objected to what was being said about the Prime Minister. The man called out, "Modi will not go anywhere." Kharge answered, "Modi's father too will go." The hall erupted, and a video of the exchange soon spread widely on social media.

Kharge is on a visit to Bihar. Before the exchange, he had been speaking about alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists, and he said those involved would be sent to jail. The remark came in the middle of that passage.

The written complaint was submitted at Kotwali police station in Patna by Krishna Singh Kallu, a member of the BJP's state executive committee. It says Kharge used insulting and uncivil language about the Prime Minister and his father at a public event. A complaint is only an allegation, not proof, and political circles are waiting to see what legal action follows.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah reacted sharply. He said that by speaking disrespectfully about Modi's father, Kharge had broken every norm of decorum in public life. Shah said it was not the first time the Congress had used insulting language against Modi and his family, and recalled that similar words had been used about the Prime Minister's mother. He added that the Congress was crossing the limits of incivility every day and had no concrete policies left to address people's problems.

In its own statement, the BJP called the Congress president's remarks about the Prime Minister's late father insulting, uncivil and objectionable. The party has asked for strong demonstrations on Monday at all its state headquarters, where an effigy of Kharge will be burnt. In Patna, an effigy will also be burnt on the morning of October 26 at the Income Tax roundabout, known locally as Income Tax Golambar.

The Congress has stood by its president. Pawan Khera defended Kharge and went on the attack against the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He said Kharge was in the middle of a speech when someone shouted a reaction from the crowd, and that Kharge's reply referred to the ideological role of the BJP. Bhupesh Baghel also backed Kharge, saying the context of an exchange during a political speech has to be kept in mind. He pointed to some earlier statements by Modi and questioned the BJP's stand. The Congress describes the remark as a response to sloganeering by opponents, while the BJP sees it as an insult to the Prime Minister.

One further report said that Congress workers caught the man who had objected and beat him.

Kharge also raised other issues in the same speech. He demanded that elections be held on ballot papers instead of EVMs and accused the BJP of irregularities in the polls. He also took up Amit Shah's claim that the Congress will not return to power for the next 30 years. Asking who would be alive after 30 years, Kharge said such statements mislead people.

Both parties are expected to offer more reactions in the coming days, and the confrontation is likely to sharpen further.