BJP protests nationwide over Kharge's 'Modi ka baap' remark, demands apology
Synopsis
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's 'Modi ka baap bhi jayega' remark at a Patna event triggered nationwide BJP protests on 26 October, with effigies burnt and leaders detained in Bengaluru. The BJP is demanding a public apology, and the row signals a sharp new escalation in political rhetoric ahead of upcoming elections.
Key Takeaways
BJP held nationwide protests on Monday, 26 October 2026 , demanding an apology from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge .
The controversy stems from Kharge's remark 'Modi ka baap bhi jayega' made at a Congress event in Patna on Sunday.
Demonstrations were held in Delhi , Bihar , Kolkata , Bengaluru , Jammu , and Telangana ; protesters burnt effigies and displayed posters.
Police detained BJP leaders who demonstrated at Freedom Park in Bengaluru.
The programme where Kharge made the remarks was organised to mark the birth anniversary of Sri Krishna Singh , Bihar's first Chief Minister.
Congress had not issued a formal response to the BJP's apology demand as of the time of reporting.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday, 26 October 2026, staged demonstrations at its party headquarters in New Delhi and across multiple states, demanding a public apology from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over remarks he allegedly made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a Congress event in Patna the previous day. The protests, which drew large numbers of party leaders and workers, mark a sharp escalation in the political row that erupted after Kharge's comments went viral.
What Kharge Said
The controversy stems from Kharge's address at a Congress programme in Patna on Sunday, organised to mark the birth anniversary of Sri Krishna Singh, Bihar's first Chief Minister. When a person in the audience reportedly interrupted Kharge, saying that Prime Minister Modi would not leave power, Kharge responded: 'Modi ka baap bhi jayega' (Even Modi's father will have to go). According to reports, the Congress president repeated the remark several times. The BJP characterised the language as deeply derogatory and personal.
Protests Spread Across States
In Delhi, State BJP president Harsh Malhotra, accompanied by several party leaders, staged a protest outside Kharge's residence. Demonstrations were simultaneously held in Bihar, Jammu, Kolkata in West Bengal, Bengaluru in Karnataka, and MJ Market in Telangana. Protesters carried BJP flags, displayed posters of the Congress chief, and burnt effigies at multiple locations.
In Bihar, a large contingent of BJP workers took out a protest march, raising slogans against Kharge and setting fire to an effigy of the Congress president. In Kolkata, demonstrators carried an effigy along with party flags as they marched condemning the remarks. In Jammu, workers burnt posters of Kharge and demanded he withdraw his comments.
Arrests in Bengaluru
In Bengaluru, BJP leaders staged a demonstration at Freedom Park, specifically demanding an apology over comments they said referred to the Prime Minister's father. Police detained the protesting leaders during the demonstration, adding another layer of political drama to the controversy.
What the BJP Is Demanding
Across all locations, the BJP's core demand remained consistent: that Kharge offer an unconditional public apology and withdraw the remarks. Party leaders have described the language as a personal attack on the Prime Minister and called it unbecoming of a senior constitutional office-holder. As of the time of reporting, neither Kharge nor the Congress party had issued a formal response to the BJP's demands.
This comes amid a broader pattern of escalating verbal exchanges between the BJP and Congress ahead of key state elections. The political temperature is expected to remain elevated as the two parties continue to sharpen their rhetoric ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Point of View
Which is a textbook opposition-pressuring playbook. What is notable is the geographical breadth of the demonstrations in a single day, signalling strong central coordination. The Congress has remained silent, which risks letting the BJP define the narrative. Whether the row translates into electoral cost depends on whether it travels beyond Hindi-belt news cycles — but with police detentions in Bengaluru, it already has regional legs. The deeper pattern is one of parties increasingly weaponising language slip-ups rather than engaging on policy, a dynamic that is hardening India's political discourse with each election cycle.
NationPress
26 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Mallikarjun Kharge say that triggered the BJP protests?
Kharge said 'Modi ka baap bhi jayega' (Even Modi's father will have to go) at a Congress event in Patna on Sunday, reportedly in response to an audience member who said PM Modi would not leave power. The BJP has called the remark derogatory and demanded a public apology.
Where did the BJP stage its protests against Kharge?
Protests were held in New Delhi, Bihar, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Jammu, and at MJ Market in Telangana on 26 October. In Delhi, BJP leaders demonstrated outside Kharge's residence, while in Bengaluru, police detained protesting leaders at Freedom Park.
What is the BJP demanding from Kharge?
The BJP is demanding that Kharge offer an unconditional public apology and withdraw his remarks, which the party says personally targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As of the time of reporting, Kharge had not issued a formal response.
What was the occasion at which Kharge made the remark?
Kharge made the remark at a Congress programme in Patna on Sunday, organised to mark the birth anniversary of Sri Krishna Singh, Bihar's first Chief Minister. The comment came in response to an interruption from an audience member.
Have any arrests been made in connection with the protests?
Police detained BJP leaders who staged a protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru, Karnataka, during the demonstrations on 26 October. No other detentions were reported from the other protest sites as of the time of reporting.
