Mahua Moitra fires back at BJP over Kharge's Modi remark
Synopsis
TMC MP Mahua Moitra fires back at BJP critics of Kharge's 'Modi's baap bhi jayega' remark, pointing to an earlier BJP-backed jibe at Rahul Gandhi's grandmother over the CAA and arguing the same rhetorical standard must apply to both sides.
Key Takeaways
TMC MP Mahua Moitra posted on X on 26 October 2026 defending Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge 's sharp remark about PM Modi .
Kharge had declared 'Modi's baap bhi jayega' and, according to Moitra, implied Gautam Adani would also face accountability.
Moitra linked the backlash to an earlier BJP-supported jibe that Rahul Gandhi 's grandmother could not stop the Citizenship Amendment Act .
The CAA was passed in December 2019 and operationalised in 2024 ; it remains fiercely contested by Congress, TMC and allied parties.
Moitra's 'sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander' argument frames the exchange as a double-standard issue, not just partisan point-scoring.
When Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge declared on Monday, 26 October 2026 that even 'Modi's baap' would have to go — and that Gautam Adani would follow — the Indian political arena crackled. TMC MP Mahua Moitra wasted no time, posting on X to defend the remark by invoking the oldest principle in political combat: what is fair for one side must be fair for the other.
The 'Nani' jab that started it all
Moitra's post references a prior remark attributed to a BJP-aligned figure identified only as 'Poonam', who reportedly taunted that Rahul Gandhi's grandmother — Nani — could not stop the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The dig was a pointed reference to Indira Gandhi, whose legacy Congress frequently invokes and the BJP frequently targets. Moitra notes that BJP and what she terms 'Godi Media' celebrated that remark without objection.
The CAA, passed by Parliament in December 2019 and operationalised through rules notified in 2024, fast-tracks citizenship for non-Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. It has remained one of the sharpest fault lines between the ruling dispensation and the opposition — with Congress, TMC, and several other parties arguing the law is constitutionally discriminatory on religious grounds.
Kharge's 'baap bhi jayega' and the Adani thread
The second half of Moitra's post is equally pointed. She quotes Congress president Kharge — who has built a reputation for blunt parliamentary interventions since taking the party's top post in 2022 — saying 'Modi's baap bhi jayega' ('Even Modi's father will go'). Moitra then adds a parenthetical: 'and yes, Adani will go.'
Gautam Adani, chairman of the Adani Group, has been a recurring target of opposition allegations about alleged proximity to the Narendra Modi government. The opposition has repeatedly demanded parliamentary and judicial scrutiny of the conglomerate's affairs — a demand the BJP has consistently rejected as politically motivated.
Reciprocal rhetoric and what the exchange reveals
Moitra's core argument is structural, not just rhetorical. Her 'sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander' framing charges that BJP and its media allies applied one standard when attacking Congress's dynastic heritage and a different standard when Congress turns similarly sharp language against Prime Minister Modi or his perceived business allies.
It is a pattern the Indian opposition has leaned into with increasing frequency — mirroring the ruling party's own combative style to strip it of its shock value. Whether that approach reshapes public opinion or merely deepens the partisan divide is the real question heading into the next round of parliamentary exchanges.
Point of View
Parties like TMC and Congress are increasingly choosing to mirror it, forcing the ruling side to either tolerate reciprocity or concede that its own attacks were inappropriate. The Adani thread woven into Moitra's post also signals that the opposition intends to keep the conglomerate's alleged government proximity on the political agenda heading into the winter parliamentary session. How the BJP responds — and whether it escalates or pivots — will shape the terms of political combat in the weeks ahead.
NationPress
26 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Mallikarjun Kharge say about Modi that Mahua Moitra defended?
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge reportedly declared 'Modi's baap bhi jayega' — meaning even Modi's father would have to go — and, according to Moitra's post, also suggested Gautam Adani would face accountability.
What is the 'Nani' remark Mahua Moitra referred to?
Moitra referenced a jibe attributed to a BJP-aligned figure called 'Poonam', who mocked that Rahul Gandhi's grandmother (Nani, widely understood as a reference to Indira Gandhi) could not stop the Citizenship Amendment Act — a remark Moitra says BJP and its media allies celebrated at the time.
What is the Citizenship Amendment Act and why is it controversial?
The Citizenship Amendment Act, passed in December 2019 and operationalised in 2024, fast-tracks citizenship for non-Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Critics including Congress and TMC argue it discriminates on religious grounds; the BJP says it protects persecuted minorities.
Why does Mahua Moitra mention Gautam Adani in her post?
Moitra echoes Kharge's implication that Adani — whose business group the opposition alleges has benefited from proximity to the Modi government — will also face political and legal reckoning. The opposition has repeatedly demanded scrutiny of the Adani Group's affairs.
What does 'sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander' mean in this context?
Moitra is arguing that the same rhetorical standard cannot apply differently to the two sides: if sharp personal attacks on Congress's legacy were acceptable from BJP figures, equally sharp attacks by Congress leaders on Modi and his allies must be treated the same way.
