Bihar BJP protests Kharge's remark on PM Modi's father, demands apology
Synopsis
A single remark by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge about PM Modi's late father has triggered street protests in Patna, apology demands from BJP's Bihar unit, and a rare alignment of NDA partners including JD(U) and MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi — signalling how quickly personal attacks on Modi can unite an otherwise fractious ruling coalition.
Key Takeaways
Bihar BJP president Sanjay Saraogi led a protest march in Patna on 26 October 2026 over Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's remark about PM Modi's late father.
BJP workers burnt a poster of Rahul Gandhi and demanded a nationwide public apology from Kharge.
Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi called the remark 'unfortunate for Indian democracy'; JD(U)'s Sanjay Jha alleged the statement was deliberate.
Union Minister Lalan Singh accused Congress of crossing the boundaries of political decorum.
RJD MP Manoj Jha declined to defend the language but called for uniform standards, demanding a parliamentary debate on political speech.
Congress's Akhilesh Prasad Singh defended Kharge, asserting the BJP had itself set the precedent for such language.
Political tensions in Bihar sharpened on Monday, 26 October 2026, after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's controversial remark concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's late father drew sharp condemnation from BJP workers across the state. A protest march in Patna led by Bihar BJP president Sanjay Saraogi saw party workers raise slogans against the Congress leadership and burn a poster of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
The Protest in Patna
A large contingent of BJP workers marched through Patna carrying banners and placards, demanding a public apology from Kharge for what they described as derogatory language directed at the Prime Minister's father. Saraogi warned that the agitation would not cease until the Congress president offered an unconditional apology. Going further, he called on Kharge to perform uthak-baithak — a traditional form of penance involving repeated squats — as a symbolic gesture of remorse.
Saraogi also indicated that protests were not limited to Bihar, with similar demonstrations reportedly taking place in the capitals of several other states.
Allies Pile On: NDA Partners Denounce the Remark
Union MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi called Kharge's statement 'unfortunate for Indian democracy,' adding that while former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi had also faced political opposition in their time, the language now being deployed reflected what he characterised as desperation within the Congress.
Janata Dal (United) national working president Sanjay Jha alleged that Congress leaders had repeatedly used 'insulting language' against Prime Minister Modi during their visits to Bihar. Jha described the remark as deliberate rather than inadvertent, asserting that the public was holding Congress leaders accountable.
Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, also known as Lalan Singh, accused the Congress of crossing the boundaries of political decorum, drawing a pointed comparison to the era of Indira Gandhi's prime ministership.
Opposition Pushes Back
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha said such language could not be supported but questioned what he described as selective outrage. He called for a two-day parliamentary discussion on the standard of language used by both the ruling party and the opposition, arguing that uniform standards should apply to all political leaders.
Congress Rajya Sabha member Akhilesh Prasad Singh defended Kharge, asserting that the Congress president had 'said nothing wrong.' He alleged that the BJP had itself initiated the trend of deplorable language in political discourse and was now objecting when it was turned on them.
A Widening Political Row
This comes amid a broader pattern of escalating verbal confrontations between the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance and the Congress-led opposition bloc ahead of state assembly cycles. The exchange of accusations has drawn in leaders from multiple parties — including regional allies and opposition MPs — underscoring the extent to which the controversy has entered mainstream political debate. How Kharge responds to the apology demand in the coming days will likely determine whether the protests sustain momentum or recede.
Point of View
JD(U) and Manjhi's camp. What is notable this time is the speed and geographic spread of the protests, suggesting central coordination rather than spontaneous local anger. The RJD's Manoj Jha offered the most structurally honest take: that outrage over political language should come with a mirror held in both directions. Whether Parliament ever gets that two-day debate on the standards of public discourse is another matter — neither side has a real incentive to audit its own rhetoric.
NationPress
26 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Mallikarjun Kharge say about PM Modi's father?
Kharge reportedly made a controversial remark concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's late father, which the BJP has characterised as derogatory. The Congress president has not publicly retracted the statement, and his party colleague Akhilesh Prasad Singh has defended it, asserting Kharge said nothing wrong.
What are BJP's demands from Kharge?
The BJP, led in Bihar by state president Sanjay Saraogi, is demanding a nationwide public apology from Kharge. Saraogi also called on Kharge to perform uthak-baithak — a traditional gesture of penance — as a mark of remorse, warning that protests will continue until the apology is made.
Which NDA allies have condemned Kharge's remark?
Union MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and JD(U) national working president Sanjay Jha both condemned the remark. Manjhi called it unfortunate for Indian democracy, while Jha alleged the statement was deliberate and not an inadvertent slip.
How has the opposition responded to the controversy?
RJD MP Manoj Jha said the language cannot be supported but questioned what he called selective outrage, calling for a two-day parliamentary debate on political speech standards for all parties. Congress's Akhilesh Prasad Singh defended Kharge outright, accusing the BJP of initiating such language norms in politics.
Are protests limited to Bihar?
No. Bihar BJP president Sanjay Saraogi stated that similar demonstrations were being held in the capitals of other states as well, indicating coordinated nationwide protests by the BJP over Kharge's remark.
