Mallikarjun Kharge’s ‘Modi ka baap bhi jayega’ remark in Patna sparks political row; Amit Shah slams Congress

Patna, 25 October 2026: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge set off a political row on Sunday when he answered a heckler at a public event in Patna with the words “Modi ka baap bhi jayega”, roughly “even Modi’s father will go”. The BJP called the remark an insult to the Prime Minister’s late father. The Congress says Kharge was talking about the RSS and was himself provoked.

What we know

• Kharge made the remark at Bapu Sabhagar, Patna, during the 139th birth anniversary event for Dr Shri Krishna Singh, Bihar’s first chief minister.
• It came in reply to an audience member who said Prime Minister Narendra Modi “would not go anywhere”.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president Nitin Nabin condemned the remark, and a BJP leader filed a police complaint.
• The Congress, through spokesperson Pawan Khera, says the reference was to the RSS and that a BJP worker deliberately heckled Kharge.

What happened at the Patna event?

Kharge was speaking about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls when a man in the audience called out. According to the Press Trust of India, the man shouted that “as long as there is no rebellion, Modi won’t go anywhere”. Kharge shot back: “Modi ka baap bhi jayega”, which PTI translates as “Let alone Modi, even his father would go” (PTI via Siasat Daily, 25 October 2026).

News agency ANI reported that the exchange triggered a ruckus inside the hall (ANI). ANI’s video of the moment is below.

Watch ANI’s video of Mallikarjun Kharge’s remarks in Patna, 25 October 2026.

Who was the man who interrupted Kharge?

Accounts differ. NDTV reported that the man, who identified himself as Santosh Kumar from Chhapra, later told reporters he was a Congress supporter and that his words had been misunderstood. He said he meant that Modi would stay in power unless the public revolted against the government (NDTV). The Congress, however, has described him as a BJP worker who heckled Kharge on purpose (Asianet Newsable). The Squadron has not independently confirmed his identity or party affiliation.

How did the BJP react?

Amit Shah wrote on X that Kharge had “crossed all limits of decorum today in Patna” with an objectionable remark about the Prime Minister’s father, and said the Congress, after repeated electoral defeats, now relies on “the politics of abuse” (PTI).

BJP president Nitin Nabin called the language “indecent and unparliamentary” and said it reflected the Congress’s “ideological bankruptcy”. Bihar BJP chief Sanjay Saraogi said Kharge was “following a script written by Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and their family” (PTI).

Krishna Singh Kallu, a member of the Bihar BJP’s state working committee, submitted a written complaint against Kharge at Patna’s Kotwali police station (Oneindia; Telangana Today). Some reports give his name as Krishna Kumar. No FIR had been reported at the time of writing.

What does the Congress say?

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera defended Kharge, saying the reference was to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which he called the Prime Minister’s ideological mentor. Khera said “a BJP worker rudely said that Modi will not go anywhere”, called the heckling “a despicable act” and said “such absurd and offensive language was used against a veteran, senior leader” (Asianet Newsable). He also accused the BJP of hatching “new conspiracies every day” (Oneindia). These are the party’s claims and have not been independently established.

What else did Kharge say about the electoral rolls?

In the same speech, Kharge called for the SIR of electoral rolls to be stopped, describing opposition to it as a “second war of independence”. He alleged that names of opposition supporters were being removed from voter lists, accused the BJP of “vote chori” in West Bengal, Haryana, Bihar and Maharashtra, and criticised the Election Commission’s conduct (Oneindia). According to PTI, he said the Congress would send those involved in alleged SIR irregularities to jail.

Kharge also appealed for elections to return to ballot papers and called for assembly elections held over the past two years to be cancelled. These allegations of electoral manipulation are contested political claims and have not been proven.

Why the row matters

Personal remarks about leaders’ families have become a recurring flashpoint in Indian politics, and both parties have accused the other of crossing the line before. The Patna exchange adds a second dispute on top of the first: not only what Kharge meant, but who the heckler was and what he was trying to say. Until fuller footage or statements emerge, both versions remain contested.

Have a view on the row? Join the discussion below, or take it to the Politics forum. For more coverage, see our Politics section.

Sources and credits

• Press Trust of India (PTI): “Kharge’s ‘Modi ka baap bhi jayega’ remark courts controversy”, via The Siasat Daily, 25 October 2026
• ANI: “‘Modi ka baap bhi jayega’: Kharge’s remark triggers ruckus at Patna event”, 25 October 2026, and ANI video on X
• NDTV: “Storm over Kharge’s ‘baap’ retort against PM Modi, then comes a misunderstanding twist”
• Oneindia: “Complaint filed against Mallikarjun Kharge over remark on PM Modi’s father; Congress backs him”, 25 October 2026
• Asianet Newsable: “Political row erupts over Mallikarjun Kharge Modi remark in Patna”, 25 October 2026
• Telangana Today: “Kharge faces police complaint in Patna over controversial comment on Modi’s father”
• Also reported by Jansatta and OpIndia.

This report is compiled from the published reporting credited above. Quotes are reproduced as reported by those outlets. If you spot an error, see our corrections policy.

• Amit Shah
• Bihar
• BJP
• Congress
• Mallikarjun Kharge
• Narendra modi

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