Smriti Irani slams Kharge over remarks on PM Modi's father
Synopsis
BJP leader Smriti Irani publicly condemns Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for alleged indecent remarks about PM Modi's father, calling it evidence of Congress's desperation and political bankruptcy ahead of upcoming elections.
Key Takeaways
Smriti Irani posted on X on October 25, 2026 condemning Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over alleged remarks about PM Modi's father.
Irani labelled the remarks 'proof of Congress's frustration and political bankruptcy.' She argued that reaching for personal insults signals a party that has lost both policy credibility and public trust.
The post invokes democratic values, warning that voters will respond to 'arrogance and undignified conduct' at the ballot box.
Personal attacks on political families have recurred in BJP-Congress clashes since at least the 2014 general election.
The exchange intensifies rhetoric ahead of forthcoming state assembly elections.
A sharp political exchange erupted on Sunday, October 25, 2026, after BJP leader Smriti Irani publicly rebuked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over what she described as indecent language directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's father — calling it proof of Congress's desperation and 'political bankruptcy.'
What Irani said — and the charge she laid
Posting in Hindi on X, Irani wrote that Kharge's 'indecent language' (अभद्र भाषा) about Modi's father was evidence of Congress's 'frustration and political bankruptcy' (हताशा और राजनीतिक दिवालियेपन). Her central accusation: when a party loses the ability to debate policy and begins to shed public trust, it reaches for personal insult as a political weapon — and that, she argued, has become Congress's 'tradition.'
'Making derogatory remarks about a family is neither courage nor politics,' Irani wrote. 'It only exposes the hollowness of values and ideas.' She closed with a pointed democratic warning — that the public knows how to answer such 'arrogance and undignified conduct' at the ballot box.
A pattern older than this moment
The volley fits a pattern well-worn in Indian national politics. Personal references — family backgrounds, ancestral origins, private lives — have surfaced in campaign rhetoric during at least the 2014 and 2019 general elections, with BJP and Congress trading accusations of breaching democratic decorum each time. Such exchanges tend to intensify in the weeks before major state or national polls, when the pressure to draw contrast is highest and policy ground feels contested.
Irani — former Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs — has consistently been one of BJP's most combative communicators against Congress, particularly on questions of party conduct and democratic values.
Why the timing matters
The post lands at a moment when both parties are calibrating their postures ahead of forthcoming state assembly elections. Rhetoric at this pitch — Congress accused of 'tearing apart democratic decencies' (लोकतांत्रिक मर्यादाओं को तार-तार करना) — typically signals that the party anticipates electoral mobilisation around the dignity-versus-dynasty frame that BJP has deployed effectively before. Whether Congress leadership responds in kind or chooses to step back will set the tone for the campaign weeks ahead.
Point of View
BJP attempts to shift the electoral conversation from governance performance to character. Congress faces a familiar dilemma: rebut and risk amplifying the controversy, or stay silent and cede the emotional register to its opponent. With state elections approaching, the speed and tone of any Congress response will signal how confident the party is in its own footing.
NationPress
25 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Smriti Irani say about Mallikarjun Kharge?
Smriti Irani accused Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge of using indecent language about PM Modi's father, calling it evidence of Congress's desperation and political bankruptcy. She said making derogatory remarks about a family exposes the hollowness of the party's values.
What did Kharge allegedly say about Modi's father?
The specific wording of Kharge's alleged remarks has not been independently verified. Irani's post describes them as 'indecent language' directed at PM Modi's father, but the exact statement is not detailed in her post.
Why is Smriti Irani a prominent BJP spokesperson on Congress?
Smriti Irani is a senior BJP leader and former Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs. She has consistently been one of the party's most vocal voices in public confrontations with Congress on questions of conduct and democratic values.
Has BJP accused Congress of personal attacks before?
Yes. Personal references — including family backgrounds — have featured in BJP-Congress clashes during the 2014 and 2019 general elections, with both parties accusing each other of breaching democratic decorum.
What is the political context of this exchange in October 2026?
The row comes ahead of forthcoming state assembly elections in India. Heated rhetoric between the two major national parties typically escalates during pre-election periods, and this exchange follows that pattern.
