Gehlot defends Kharge over Modi remark row, accuses BJP of double standards
Synopsis
Ashok Gehlot's defence of Kharge is more than a damage-control exercise — it flips the script entirely. By invoking Amit Shah's alleged 2025 Parliament remark, the 2019 Rajiv Gandhi jibe, and the Haldwani purification ritual, Gehlot is mounting a counter-offensive that reframes the BJP's language objection as selective outrage and tests whether the media will apply the same scrutiny to both sides.
Key Takeaways
Ashok Gehlot defended Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on 26 October 2026 over remarks about PM Narendra Modi 's father.
Gehlot posted his defence on social media platform X , arguing Kharge's idiom was figurative and not a personal insult.
He alleged Amit Shah used the word 'saala' in Parliament in 2025 , accusing the BJP of inconsistency on political language.
Gehlot raised the alleged Haldwani stage-purification incident after Kharge's rally, calling it a Dalit dignity issue, and demanded BJP accountability over a promised investigation by J.P.
He also flagged concerns about the impartiality of the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar .
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on 26 October 2026 came out in defence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who has faced sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over controversial remarks concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's father. Gehlot accused the BJP of selectively invoking political decorum while conveniently ignoring its own record of contentious public statements.
Gehlot's Defence of Kharge
In a series of posts on social media platform X, Gehlot argued that Kharge harboured no intention of personally insulting anyone and remained fully aware of the dignity associated with the office of the Prime Minister. 'Mallikarjun Kharge is one of the most experienced politicians in the country and understands the dignity of the post of Prime Minister. His intention was not to personally insult anyone,' Gehlot wrote. He contended that relationship-based expressions and idioms have long been embedded in everyday Indian speech and are routinely used in a figurative rather than a literal or derogatory sense.
BJP's Own Record Questioned
Gehlot cited an instance from Parliament in 2025 in which he alleged that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had used the word 'saala' — a colloquial term denoting a brother-in-law — during a speech. He argued that the same BJP now objecting to Kharge's language had raised no comparable concern at that time. Gehlot also pointed to Prime Minister Modi's remarks about former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi during the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign, questioning why the party had not applied the same standard of political decorum then. He alleged a clear inconsistency in the BJP's response to controversial political language.
Haldwani Purification Ritual Controversy
The former Chief Minister raised a separate but related grievance — an alleged purification ritual reportedly conducted after Kharge's public meeting in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, where individuals reportedly associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP allegedly cleansed the stage. Gehlot said the episode had raised serious questions about the treatment of Dalits in public life. He recalled that the Congress had raised the matter in Parliament and that former BJP national president J.P. Nadda had reportedly promised an investigation. Gehlot demanded accountability, questioning whether the findings had ever been made public.
Broader Democratic Concerns
Gehlot broadened his critique to include allegations of vote theft, questions about the impartiality of the Election Commission of India, and what he described as partisan conduct by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He alleged that when the opposition and young citizens raised concerns about democratic rights, the BJP's response was often to question their patriotism or suggest foreign interference rather than engage with the substance of the concerns. He maintained that the controversy over Kharge's remarks must be read against the backdrop of the BJP's own conduct and the wider state of political discourse in India.
Point of View
However valid, does not neutralise the original controversy — it simply widens the front. The Haldwani purification episode is the most substantive element here: if a public-stage cleansing after a Dalit leader's rally went uninvestigated after a formal parliamentary promise, that is a verifiable accountability failure, not merely a rhetorical point. That thread deserves independent scrutiny beyond the political noise around Kharge's remark.
NationPress
26 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Mallikarjun Kharge say that sparked the controversy?
Kharge made remarks concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's father that the BJP found objectionable and personally insulting. The specific phrasing drew condemnation from the ruling party, which accused Kharge of crossing the line of political decorum.
How did Ashok Gehlot defend Kharge?
Gehlot argued that relationship-based idioms are a common feature of Indian everyday speech and that Kharge had no intent to personally insult anyone. He posted his defence on social media platform X, emphasising Kharge's seniority and his understanding of the Prime Minister's office.
What examples did Gehlot cite to accuse the BJP of double standards?
Gehlot cited an alleged use of the word 'saala' by Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament in 2025 and PM Modi's remarks about former PM Rajiv Gandhi during the 2019 Lok Sabha campaign, arguing that the BJP applied a different standard to its own leaders' language.
What is the Haldwani purification ritual controversy?
Gehlot alleged that individuals associated with the RSS and BJP conducted a purification ritual on the stage used by Kharge at a public meeting in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, raising questions about the treatment of Dalits. He said the Congress raised this in Parliament and that J.P. Nadda promised an investigation, but no findings were made public.
What other concerns did Gehlot raise?
Beyond the language controversy, Gehlot raised concerns about alleged vote theft, the impartiality of the Election Commission, and questions about Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He alleged the BJP deflects from these issues by questioning the patriotism of critics.
