Karnataka Home, Information Technology and Biotechnology Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday, 26 October came out strongly in defence of his father, All India Congress Committee (AICC) President Mallikarjun Kharge, over controversial remarks the senior leader reportedly made against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Priyank accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of manufacturing a controversy and selectively targeting the Congress leadership while conveniently overlooking its own leaders' derogatory remarks over the years.

The Remark in Context

Priyank Kharge explained that the remark — 'Modi ka baap bhi jayega' (Even PM Modi's father will have to go) — was a spontaneous retort to a BJP supporter, not an unprovoked attack. According to Priyank, the supporter had challenged Mallikarjun Kharge, stating that nothing would happen to Modi and that neither Kharge nor his father could do anything to the Prime Minister.

'There was a gentleman who was a BJP supporter sitting there. He said nothing would happen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that neither you nor your father could do anything to him. There was a retort to that. All of you know how people speak in such situations in any language,' Priyank Kharge said, urging the BJP to understand the context before criticising the remarks.

BJP's Own Record on Political Decorum

Priyank Kharge went on the offensive, citing a string of alleged remarks by BJP leaders that he argued were far more derogatory. He referred to statements reportedly made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi about former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi, and by Union Home Minister Amit Shah about late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He also highlighted the descriptions of Sonia Gandhi as a 'Jersey cow' and of Rahul Gandhi as a 'hybrid calf' and 'Pappu' — labels widely attributed to BJP ranks over the years.

'Conveniently, these so-called cultured people forget what their own leaders have said. We need not learn culture from them,' Priyank said, adding that repeated trolling and the filing of FIRs would not alter Congress's political stance.

Priyank Targets Election Commission Row

In a sharp broadside, Priyank Kharge alleged that the BJP's nationwide protests over his father's remarks were designed to deflect public attention from other pressing issues — specifically, scrutiny around Election Commission of India (ECI) Chief Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. 'They are holding nationwide protests. They want to divert attention from their favourite person, Election Commission's Chief Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Where is he hiding? They just want to create distractions from the current issues,' he claimed.

BJP Protests in Bengaluru

Meanwhile, the Karnataka BJP staged a demonstration at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on Monday against Mallikarjun Kharge's remarks. The protest was organised under the leadership of Assembly Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka and Legislative Council Leader of the Opposition Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, with BJP Members of Parliament, MLAs, and Members of the Legislative Council participating.

Participants condemned the Congress President's language and demanded accountability, signalling that the BJP intends to keep the issue alive politically.

A Deeper Congress-BJP Fault Line

The episode reflects a broader pattern of escalating verbal confrontations between the two national parties, with both sides accusing each other of breaching the boundaries of political discourse. Notably, Karnataka has been a recurring theatre for such flashpoints, given that it is the only major southern state governed by Congress. With the state BJP leadership seeking to consolidate opposition around a national narrative, the incident offers a useful rallying point ahead of upcoming political cycles. How far Congress chooses to defend Mallikarjun Kharge's remarks — or quietly walk them back — will be watched closely in coming days.