Goyal slams Kharge over remarks on PM Modi's late father
Synopsis
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has denounced Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for a remark about PM Modi's late father, labelling it emblematic of Congress's 'degraded politics' and praising Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's rebuttal of the comment.
Key Takeaways
Piyush Goyal condemned Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for a remark made about PM Modi's late father , calling it a symbol of 'low-grade politics'.
Goyal stated that personal insults in the name of political opposition are 'against the dignity of democracy.' Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had already publicly rebuked Congress over the comment before Goyal's post.
The BJP framed the episode as evidence of Congress's 'political frustration and ideological decline.' Both Goyal and Singh responding in coordination signals the BJP views this as a significant political pressure point.
The specific content of Kharge's original remark was not independently verified at publication time.
A sharp political exchange erupted on Monday, 26 October 2026, after Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal condemned Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for a remark directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's late father — calling it a symbol of what he described as Congress's 'degraded politics'.
In a strongly worded post in Hindi, Goyal wrote: 'Congress adhyaksh Kharge ji dwara Pradhanmantri Modi ji ke swargiy pitaji par ki gayi tippani Congress ki starhin rajneeti ka prateek hai' — ('The remark made by Congress president Kharge ji on Prime Minister Modi ji's late father is a symbol of Congress's low-grade politics'). Goyal added that personal insults and abusive language in the name of political opposition are 'against the dignity of democracy.'
Rajnath Singh's rebuke and the BJP's counter-offensive
Goyal specifically cited Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's response to the episode, crediting him with 'holding a mirror up to Congress' and exposing what the BJP described as the party's 'political frustration and ideological decline.' Rajnath Singh, a senior BJP leader who has served as Defence Minister since 2019, carries considerable weight within the party as a voice of institutional authority, making his intervention notable beyond routine party sparring.
The BJP's coordinated response — with both a senior economic minister and the Defence Minister weighing in — signals that the party views the comment not as a stray remark but as a political pressure point worth amplifying heading into a period of heightened inter-party competition.
A recurring fault-line in Indian political discourse
References to political leaders' family backgrounds have periodically ignited controversy in Indian politics, with both the BJP and Congress accusing each other of crossing lines of personal conduct. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, in power at the centre since 2014, has consistently framed such moments as evidence of Congress's negative campaigning — a narrative it deploys to consolidate its own base around questions of cultural dignity and democratic norms.
Kharge, who has led the Congress as its president since October 2022, has emerged as one of the BJP's most prominent political targets, particularly in parliamentary settings where Goyal — as Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha — frequently faces off against the opposition. The specific remark that triggered this exchange could not be independently verified at the time of publication.
Whether Congress responds publicly — in a party forum, through a press conference, or on the floor of Parliament — will determine whether this remains a social-media flashpoint or escalates into a sustained legislative confrontation over the norms of political speech.
Point of View
Particularly when family or personal history is invoked. For Congress, the episode risks shifting the media narrative away from any substantive policy critique it was attempting to make, handing the BJP a useful distraction. The exchange also underscores the increasingly personal register of national political discourse ahead of competitive electoral cycles.
NationPress
26 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Mallikarjun Kharge say about PM Modi's father?
The specific content of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's remark about PM Modi's late father has not been independently verified. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal's post condemned it as a personal insult that is 'against the dignity of democracy.'
Why did Piyush Goyal criticise Congress over the remark?
Piyush Goyal, a senior BJP leader and Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, called the remark a symbol of Congress's 'low-grade politics,' arguing that personal attacks on political opponents and their families undermine democratic norms.
What did Rajnath Singh say in response to Kharge's comment?
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh publicly rebuked Congress over the remark. Goyal credited him with 'holding a mirror up to Congress' and exposing what the BJP described as the party's political frustration and ideological decline.
Who is Mallikarjun Kharge?
Mallikarjun Kharge has been the president of the Indian National Congress since October 2022, making him the principal opposition leader at the national level and a frequent target of BJP criticism.
Is it common for Indian politicians to make remarks about rivals' family members?
References to political leaders' family backgrounds have periodically sparked controversy in Indian politics, with both the BJP and Congress having accused each other at different times of crossing lines of personal conduct.
