Zillar Barta Desk,Bengaluru: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and workers staged a protest in Bengaluru on Monday against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over his controversial remarks concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s late father. The demonstration, held at Freedom Park, witnessed slogans against the Congress leadership, with protesters demanding a public apology from Kharge.
The protest followed a political controversy that erupted after Kharge made the remarks during an event in Patna, Bihar, on Sunday. The programme was organised to commemorate the 139th birth anniversary of Bihar’s first Chief Minister, Dr. Shri Krishna Singh. During his address, Kharge was discussing alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls when an audience member interrupted him, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not leave office.
Responding to the interruption, Kharge made the remark, “Modi ka baap bhi jayega,” which triggered sharp criticism from the BJP. The party accused the Congress president of making an objectionable personal remark about the Prime Minister’s deceased father and demanded an apology.
The controversy quickly escalated into a nationwide political confrontation, with BJP workers organising demonstrations in several cities, including Bengaluru, Delhi, Patna, Lucknow and Jammu.
In Bengaluru, BJP leaders and party workers gathered at Freedom Park to protest against Kharge’s statement. Among those participating in the demonstration were Karnataka Assembly Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka and BJP leader Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, according to reports.
The protesters raised slogans against the Congress president and demanded that he publicly apologise for his remarks. They argued that political disagreements should not lead to comments involving the family members of elected leaders, particularly those who have passed away.
Rajya Sabha member Lahar Singh Siroya also criticised the remarks, saying that such language undermined the dignity associated with high constitutional offices and contributed to the deterioration of political discourse.
The demonstration was part of the BJP’s wider campaign against Kharge’s statement. Police detained protesters during the Bengaluru demonstration as the protest unfolded. The action came amid similar demonstrations by BJP leaders and workers in other parts of the country.
The BJP maintained that the Congress leadership should take responsibility for the remarks and issue a public apology. The party also called on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to respond to the controversy.
The incident added to the political tensions between the BJP and Congress in Karnataka, a state where the two parties remain major rivals.
The dispute originated at a public programme in Patna on Sunday, where Mallikarjun Kharge was addressing an audience during the birth anniversary celebrations of Dr. Shri Krishna Singh.
During his speech, the Congress president discussed the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and alleged irregularities in the process. Kharge said that those responsible for wrongdoing would face legal consequences.
An audience member then interrupted the speech, reportedly insisting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not leave office. Kharge responded with the remark that subsequently became the centre of the political controversy.
The BJP interpreted the statement as an insult directed at the Prime Minister’s late father. Party leaders across the country condemned the wording and argued that a senior political leader should maintain restraint while addressing a public gathering.
The Congress, however, offered a different interpretation of the exchange. Party spokesperson Pawan Khera said that an audience member had first made a remark about Kharge’s late father. He argued that Kharge’s response was directed at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which the Congress describes as the Prime Minister’s ideological parent, rather than his biological father.
This difference in interpretation became a major point of contention between the two parties, with the BJP demanding an apology and the Congress defending its president’s response as a retort to provocation.
