Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday, 10 October 2026, strongly condemned Karnataka Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa's alleged derogatory reference to President Droupadi Murmu as a 'silent President', demanding an immediate public apology. The row erupted after Bangarappa made the remarks while speaking to the media about the Congress leadership's plans to meet the President over electoral roll disputes.

What Kumaraswamy Said

In a post on social media platform X, Kumaraswamy described the alleged remark against the President — who holds the country's highest constitutional office — as 'strongly condemnable'. He argued that the comment exposed what he called the Indian National Congress party's 'anti-constitutional and arrogant mindset'.

'What else can be expected from such Karnataka Congress leaders who are engaged in servitude to the fake Gandhi family?' Kumaraswamy said, sharpening his attack on the Congress leadership. He further accused Bangarappa of disregarding constitutional and democratic values and reiterated his demand for a formal apology to President Murmu without delay.

What Bangarappa Actually Said

On Friday, while addressing reporters about the Congress leadership's plans to seek a presidential audience over political disputes — including allegations of voter list manipulation and the alleged targeting of opposition leaders — Madhu Bangarappa reportedly stated that 'everyone knows it is a silent President'. He further alleged that the President is heavily influenced by the Prime Minister, and expressed scepticism about whether submitting memorandums would yield any real outcome.

Bangarappa alleged that the Prime Minister would simply instruct the President to accept any application and dismiss visitors without resolution — and that this dynamic was enabling attempts to delete voters' names through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Bangarappa's Broader Allegations

The Karnataka Education Minister also alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party's strategy of polarising voters in the name of Pakistan and religion had lost its effectiveness, and that the party had realised it could no longer win elections solely on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image. He alleged that the BJP had consequently resorted to electoral fraud by deleting voters' names from rolls across the country.

Bangarappa further alleged that BJP leaders were using the Chief Election Commissioner as a 'puppet at their disposal', and called on the media to raise serious questions about the deletions from electoral rolls, arguing that the press had a responsibility to protect democracy and place facts before the public.

Political Context

This comes amid a broader standoff between the Congress-led Karnataka government and the BJP over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which opposition leaders allege is being used to selectively remove voters. The Congress leadership had been planning to raise these grievances directly with the President. Notably, this is not the first time remarks about President Murmu — a woman from a tribal community — have triggered a sharp political backlash, with the BJP consistently framing such comments as attacks on marginalised representation at the highest constitutional level.

What Happens Next

As of Saturday, Bangarappa had not publicly responded to Kumaraswamy's demand for an apology. The controversy is likely to intensify political exchanges ahead of the Congress delegation's planned meeting with President Murmu over the electoral roll issue.