New Delhi, 25 October (H.S.): Union Home Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Shah on Sunday strongly criticised Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over his controversial remark concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s father at a public event in Patna, accusing the Congress of resorting to abusive political rhetoric out of frustration over repeated electoral defeats.

In a post on X, Amit Shah said Kharge had crossed the boundaries of political propriety with his comment about the Prime Minister’s father. He alleged that the Congress had become increasingly frustrated and disillusioned after suffering electoral setbacks over the past 12 years, claiming that the party had been left without a coherent policy agenda or substantive issues to raise and was instead relying on personal attacks and abusive language.

Amit Shah further alleged that the Congress had repeatedly used derogatory language against PM Modi and his family. Referring to earlier political controversies, he said Congress leaders had made objectionable remarks about the Prime Minister’s late mother and had used expressions such as “merchant of death” and “chaiwala” to target him, including references to his humble background.

The Home Minister also criticised the Congress under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the party’s leaders were increasingly crossing the limits of acceptable public discourse.

Amit Shah claimed that the Congress, having lost public support, was also losing its standing among its own workers. He asserted that whenever Congress leaders had made what he described as offensive remarks about Modi or his family, voters had responded by delivering electoral setbacks to the party.

The controversy followed Kharge’s address at an event in Patna on Sunday marking the 139th birth anniversary of Bihar’s first Chief Minister, Dr Shri Krishna Singh. During the speech, Kharge made the remark while responding to an audience member’s comment about whether Modi would leave office. The exchange triggered a political row and drew sharp criticism from BJP leaders.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar