JAMMU, OCTOBER 28: Senior BJP leader and former minister Bali Bhagat launched a blistering attack on the Congress leadership, accusing it of hitting a new low in political discourse and exposing its ideological bankruptcy through repeated personal attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Reacting to the reported remark by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Patna, “Modi ka baap bhi jayega,” Bhagat said the statement reflected a disturbing decline in political decency and the standards expected from those holding senior public positions.
“Congress has reduced politics to personal abuse because it lacks the courage and substance to challenge Narendra Modi on his performance, leadership and vision for India. When a party cannot compete through ideas, policies and public service, it resorts to insults. This is not political courage; it is an admission of political and intellectual bankruptcy,” Bhagat said.
He said that dragging the Prime Minister’s family into political battles was disgraceful and demonstrated how far the Congress leadership had moved away from responsible democratic conduct.
“First, the Prime Minister’s mother became a subject of political controversy, and now his father is being dragged into the political arena. Is this the level to which the Congress has fallen? A national party that once governed India is now struggling to maintain even the basic dignity of political debate. The country deserves answers on jobs, development, national security and inflation—not verbal assaults and family-targeted remarks,” he asserted.
“PM Modi has been targeted with various kinds of abuses, sarcasm and sharp statements by the Congress Party and opposition leaders more than 90 times in the last 20-25 years”, Bali said.
Bhagat emphasised that the Prime Minister’s office was a constitutional institution representing the democratic mandate of the people. He said that while the government must remain open to criticism, insulting the Prime Minister through personal attacks was an attempt to degrade the very standards of democratic politics.
“The Prime Minister’s chair is not a punching bag for frustrated politicians. Narendra Modi occupies that position through the democratic process and the people’s mandate. Congress may oppose him, question his policies and challenge his decisions, but it cannot expect personal abuse to pass as political argument. *Insulting the Prime Minister is an insult to the democratic mandate of millions of Indians,*” he said.
Highlighting the history of controversies surrounding remarks against Modi, Bhagat cited Sonia Gandhi’s 2007 “merchant of death” remark, Mani Shankar Aiyar’s “chaiwala” jibe, controversial statements attributed to other Congress leaders, Imran Masood’s threatening rhetoric in 2014, and Rahul Gandhi’s “Chowkidar Chor Hai” campaign during the Rafale controversy. He also referred to Kharge’s 2023 “poisonous snake” remark, for which Kharge later clarified that his target was the BJP’s ideology rather than Modi personally.
Bhagat said these repeated controversies pointed to a larger failure within the Congress to establish a credible political narrative. He argued that instead of focusing on employment, economic growth, infrastructure, farmers’ welfare, national security and India’s global standing, the party continued to be consumed by rhetoric and confrontational politics.
He also questioned Rahul Gandhi’s political priorities, saying that anyone aspiring to lead the country must demonstrate sustained public engagement, accountability and a clear response to national challenges.
“Congress cannot hide its leadership crisis behind sensational statements. The country needs an opposition that offers solutions, not one that manufactures outrage. *Abuses cannot become an alternative to policies, and personal attacks cannot become a substitute for political vision,*” Bhagat said.
Concluding his attack, Bhagat challenged the Congress leadership to introspect and restore dignity to its political conduct.
“Power is temporary, but a leader’s words define his character and political legacy. Congress must stop confusing provocation with courage and personal insults with opposition politics. India deserves a mature opposition that respects democratic institutions, honours the people’s verdict and places national interest above political desperation,” he said.
