Patna: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge lost his cool during a public event in Patna on Saturday after a man in the audience interrupted his speech with a remark supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The incident took place at a programme marking the 139th birth anniversary of Dr Shri Krishna Singh, Bihar’s first Chief Minister, popularly known as Sri Babu.
According to reports, the man shouted that Modi would not go anywhere while Kharge was addressing the gathering. The Congress chief responded, “Modi ka baap bhi jayega,” which translates to “Even Modi’s father will go.”
The exchange drew attention after footage of the incident surfaced. Reports also claimed that Congress workers assaulted the man and removed him from the hall. The circumstances surrounding the alleged assault were not immediately clear.
Kharge Calls SIR Opposition a ‘Second War of Independence’
Apart from the exchange, Kharge used his address to target the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He accused them of following an ideology that, in his view, was deepening divisions in the country.
“As long as RSS ideology is not eliminated, there will be no peace in the country,” Kharge said.
The Congress president also called for the immediate scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Describing the opposition to the exercise as a “second war of independence”, he urged people to come forward to protect their voting rights and the Constitution.
Kharge alleged that electoral rolls had been manipulated and that names of opposition supporters had been deleted. He also questioned the Election Commission’s handling of the electoral process.
“Governments stolen through ‘vote chori’ in West Bengal, Haryana, Bihar and Maharashtra must be removed,” he said.
These remarks reflected the Congress party’s allegations of electoral irregularities. The claims were presented by Kharge during his speech.
Congress Chief Demands Ballot Papers in Future Elections
Kharge called for the annulment of Assembly elections held over the past two years, alongside an immediate halt to the ongoing SIR exercise. He said the electoral process needed greater transparency and accountability.
He also demanded that ballot papers be brought back for all future elections, arguing that the move would help restore public confidence in the voting process.
“Democracy must be protected, and every vote must count,” Kharge said.
The demands form part of the Congress party’s broader opposition to the SIR exercise and its criticism of the Election Commission. The BJP and the Election Commission have faced repeated political challenges over the conduct of elections and the revision of electoral rolls.
The Patna event, organised to mark the birth anniversary of Sri Krishna Singh, thus became the setting for both a heated exchange involving the Congress chief and a wider political attack over electoral reforms.
Kharge’s remark about Modi is likely to draw further political reactions, while the reported assault on the man who interrupted his speech remains a separate issue for which the circumstances were not immediately established.