Shivraj hits back at Kharge over remarks on PM Modi's father
Synopsis
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has sharply condemned Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over remarks about PM Modi's father, questioned Sonia Gandhi's role, and demanded Congress explain whether such language befits a national party president.
Key Takeaways
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan posted a sharp condemnation on 25 October 2026 targeting Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over alleged remarks about PM Modi's father .
Chouhan called the language 'against Indian civilisation, culture, values, and decency.' He directly questioned Sonia Gandhi on whether Kharge spoke at the Gandhi family's direction, and if not, whether Congress would demand his resignation.
Chouhan accused a 'repeatedly defeated' Congress of having 'lost its mental equilibrium.' He warned that 'the country will not tolerate insult' to PM Modi or his family.
The Congress Working Committee's response — or silence — will be watched as a signal on party discipline and campaign rhetoric.
A remark about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's late father has ignited a sharp political exchange — and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is demanding answers, publicly and directly, from the Congress's top leadership on Sunday, 25 October 2026.
Posting in Hindi on X, Chouhan said his 'mind is deeply pained' — मन बहुत व्यथित है — over what he described as undignified language used by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge about the Prime Minister's father. 'From a senior leader like Kharge ji, one expected restrained, dignified language,' he wrote. 'Such indecent language about the Prime Minister's revered father is against Indian civilisation, culture, values, and decency.'
Chouhan's direct challenge to Sonia Gandhi
Chouhan did not stop at criticism. He escalated sharply, directing a pointed question at former Congress president Sonia Gandhi: did Kharge make those remarks at the Gandhi family's direction? 'If not,' he demanded, 'will Congress seek his resignation?' The framing — either Kharge acted on instructions from the party's most powerful family, or he acted beyond the bounds of his office — puts the Congress leadership in an uncomfortable either-or corner. Chouhan also questioned whether such language befits the dignity of the office of a national party president, asking Congress to answer publicly.The 'battered and unhinged' charge
Chouhan's sharpest line was a diagnosis rather than a demand. He wrote that Congress, 'losing repeatedly, has become so rattled that it has lost its mental equilibrium' — अपना मानसिक संतुलन खो बैठी है. The language frames the controversy not just as a lapse of decorum but as a symptom of a party in political freefall, deepening the sting of the rebuke. He closed with a clear warning: 'Modi ji is the garland around the hearts of crores of people. The country will not tolerate insult to him or his family.'A recurring battleground in Indian politics
This is not the first time the BJP and Congress have clashed over the limits of political speech, particularly around the Prime Minister's family. BJP leaders have repeatedly invoked the theme of 'maryada' — dignity and propriety — as a rhetorical cudgel, especially in the run-up to or aftermath of electoral contests. Congress, for its part, has argued that the BJP regularly attacks the Nehru-Gandhi family in equally personal terms. Neither side has historically found consensus on where the line sits. Kharge, elected Congress national president in October 2022, has been the public face of the opposition's attacks on the Modi government. Whether the Congress Working Committee responds to Chouhan's demand — or lets the moment pass — will signal how the party intends to manage both internal discipline and the optics of political language in the months ahead. The ball is now in Congress's court, and silence will itself be read as an answer.Point of View
He deliberately targets the party's real power centre, not its constitutional president. The either-or framing — complicity or incompetence — is designed to have no safe exit. If Congress stays silent, BJP claims vindication; if Congress acts against Kharge, it signals internal fracture. The episode underscores how 'maryada politics' — the language of dignity and propriety — has become a durable frontline in BJP-Congress combat, particularly effective when an opposition party is navigating electoral headwinds.
NationPress
25 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Kharge say about PM Modi's father?
The specific remarks attributed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge about PM Modi's father have not been independently verified; Chouhan's post describes them as 'indecent' and 'against Indian civilisation and culture,' but the precise words Kharge used are not reproduced in the post.
Why is Shivraj Singh Chouhan questioning Sonia Gandhi?
Chouhan is questioning Sonia Gandhi because she is widely regarded as the most influential figure within the Congress party. He is asking whether Kharge made the disputed remarks at the Gandhi family's direction, framing it as a question of accountability at the top of the party.
Is Chouhan demanding Kharge's resignation?
Chouhan is not directly demanding Kharge's resignation himself; he is asking Congress whether it will seek Kharge's resignation if the remarks were not made at the Gandhi family's behest, putting the decision back on the party.
Who is Mallikarjun Kharge?
Mallikarjun Kharge is a veteran Congress politician who was elected national president of the Indian National Congress in October 2022. He also serves as Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
How has Congress responded to Shivraj Singh Chouhan's post?
As of the time of this report, no formal response from the Congress Working Committee or senior Congress leaders has been recorded in response to Chouhan's post dated 25 October 2026.
