A remark attributed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's late father ignited a sharp political counter-attack on Sunday, 25 October 2026, when BJP MP Anurag Thakur called it the 'pinnacle of ideological bankruptcy' of the entire Congress party.

What Thakur said — and the Hindi couplet he opened with

Thakur began his post with a well-known Hindi couplet — 'Sangat se gun aate hain, sangat se gun jaat' (one acquires virtues from company, and loses them too) — pointedly suggesting that Kharge had absorbed what he framed as Rahul Gandhi's combative style. He then described Kharge's comment about Modi's father as 'ashobhaniya' (unbecoming) and said it reflected the 'intellectual bankruptcy' of the Congress leadership, its high command, and its workers alike.

The Hamirpur MP catalogued what he called a pattern of personal attacks by Congress stretching back years: the 2007 'maut ka saudagar' (merchant of death) jibe, the 'chaiwala' taunt during the 2014 Lok Sabha campaign that mocked Modi's background, the 'chowkidar chor hai' slogan, allegations about his caste, and comments about his elderly mother. The latest remark about Modi's deceased father, Thakur argued, crossed a new line.

An insult to the public mandate, BJP MP argues

'This is not merely personal criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,' Thakur wrote, 'it is also disrespect for the public mandate and public sentiment.' His argument: a leader whom voters have continuously elevated — first as Gujarat Chief Minister and then as Prime Minister — for 25 years is, in effect, an extension of popular will. To demean him personally, the argument runs, is to demean the electorate that chose him.

The framing is a familiar BJP rhetorical move — turning an attack on Modi into an attack on his voters — but Thakur deployed it with unusual force here, anchoring it to the specific grief of a deceased parent rather than a policy disagreement.

Twelve years of electoral setbacks — and a demand for apology

Thakur did not stop at condemnation. He noted that Congress has faced continuous rejection at the national level for the past 12 years — since 2014 — and said the party's 'frustration, despondency, and resentment' were visible to the entire country. His closing demand was direct: a public apology from the party.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who has led the party since October 2022, is one of its most experienced figures — a veteran parliamentarian from Karnataka with decades in both state and national politics. The specific remark attributed to him on Modi's father has not been independently confirmed, and NationPress is awaiting a response from the Congress party.

Whether Kharge responds directly, or whether the exchange stays in the register of social-media salvos, will shape how this controversy lands in an already polarised political climate. One thing is certain: in Indian politics, family is rarely off the table — and when it enters the arena, the temperature rises fast.