BJP slams Rahul over Indore skit; Congress hits back
An impersonation of PM at the Congress leader’s Indore event has widened the political confrontation, drawing accusations of disrespect
A sharp war of words erupted on Sunday between the BJP and the Congress after the former lashed out at Rahul Gandhi for his alleged remarks on Saturday that alluded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an event in Indore. While the BJP termed them as “uncouth” and “foul-mouthed,” the Opposition said mimicry is a democratic right and charged that PM Modi had previously made disparaging remarks against Sonia Gandhi.
The verbal spar came about after Rahul, along with stand-up comic Pulkit Mani, alluded to PM Modi as they shared the stage during Chattron Ki Goonj event in Indore on Saturday. Many pointed out that these unmistakably mocked the PM.
During the event, Mani appeared on stage with Rahul and imitated of PM Modi’s speech, mannerisms and public persona.
Mani also performed an exaggerated version of PM Modi’s familiar conversational style with foreign leaders, while repeatedly using the expression “My friend.”
He asked Rahul, “How are you, my friend?” The Congress MP responded, “How are you, Modi ji?” Mani then replied, “Great harassment,” before breaking into exaggerated laughter.
People later pointed out that a portion of the skit was inspired by an instance where the PM had asked organisers to arrange a chair for an elderly woman who was attending a BJP rally.
While the BJP called it a “cheap political theatre” and suggested that Rahul Gandhi should “become a stand-up comedian”, Opposition leaders from the Congress, AAP and TMC rallied in his support.
BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan, in a video statement, said Rahul had insulted women by “mocking a frail mother.” He said, “No decent, right-thinking person would have found these foul-mouthed, third-rate antics amusing but Rahul Gandhi was seen laughing aloud on the stage he was sharing with them. Such uncouth culture endorsed by Rahul Gandhi is the reason why he and the Congress have failed to resonate with the youth.”
Kesavan also said even the Congress’s own leader Shashi Tharoor has admitted the party’s failure on this front. “Rahul Gandhi's politics of bitter hate is the reason why the Congress party and its student wing NSUI were chased away from Delhi University,” he said, referring to the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) election.
ABVP, the student wing of the BJP, won a majority of the DUSU posts in the recently concluded poll.
“While PM Modi, in a thoughtful gesture, ensured a chair for an aged elder, in sharp contrast Rahul Gandhi was seen yesterday revelling when such elders were being shamelessly disrespected. Rahul Gandhi, who supports clowns and such crude circus shows, cannot be taken seriously as a political leader,” the BJP spokesperson said.
Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi, in a social media post, said, “Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party have stooped to an absolute nadir of moral bankruptcy. Weaponising a student interaction to mock and insult the late mother of PM Modi reveals a shocking lack of basic human empathy and political culture.”
Others who slammed Rahul included Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who said the Congress leader”s language was deteriorating “from bad to worse”.
He described the remarks as a “stain on the dignity of Indian politics” and said such language was not representative of India, adding that people were closely observing the words, values and mindset of political leaders.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju posted on X: “Congress Party has become a Party of Comedians & Jokers! They are out forever.... RIP.”
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, too, echoed the sentiment. “By laughing at the insult to a mother, Rahul Gandhi has laid bare his political upbringing before the entire nation. This prince of the Congress has fallen victim to mental bankruptcy-and this has once again made it clear to the whole country on his own,” she said.
Union minister Piyush Goyal criticised Rahul’s act, describing it as “cheap political theatre”. In a post on X, he wrote, “The irony writes itself. The need to come on stage every now and then just to drag Prime Minister Modi ji”s name into cheap political theatre never fails to amaze me.”
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said Rahul Gandhi could consider “stand-up comedy” as a career. He said that the Congress leader had already left his political party “unemployed.”
“I feel this is the only job left for Rahul Gandhi now. If Rahul Gandhi takes up the profession of a stand-up comedian and does mimicry there, he could secure very good employment. As for his political party, he has already rendered it unemployed,” he said.
Other BJP leaders criticised Gandhi over what they described as the “mocking and insulting” of PM Modi’s late mother during the incident.
Opposition parties defended the mimicry, arguing that criticising the PM is part of democratic rights. Congress leader Raashid Alvi said the incident involved “mimicry and nothing else”. He alleged that the “real insult” came from remarks PM Modi had made about senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.
“Rahul Gandhi was only smiling and laughing, but Rahul Gandhi was not laughing alone. The entire crowd was laughing, especially the women who were present there. If a woman is being insulted, will women also laugh?” he said.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra said that it was not “crass humour” but a “long-awaited phenomenon”. In a post, she wrote on X, “No, this is not crass humour. This is not immature behaviour. This is a much-needed long-awaited phenomenon. To fearlessly lampoon a PM is a democratic right long denied to Indians.”
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said BJP leaders had themselves “made insulting remarks about Rahul Gandhi and his family”.
