A political controversy erupted on Monday after derogatory slogans targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi were raised during a Congress rally in Jaipur, prompting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to demand an apology from senior Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge.
The slogans were reportedly raised at the Congress’ ‘Vote Chor Gaddi Chhod’ rally held in Jaipur on Sunday to protest what the party alleges as “vote theft” by the BJP. A group led by Manju Lata Meena, president of the Jaipur women’s district Congress committee, was heard raising a slogan that included the word ‘kabar’ (grave) in reference to the Prime Minister.
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Congress leader defends slogan, BJP calls it 'reprehensible'
When questioned by reporters later, Meena defended the remark, saying it reflected public anger.
“He does not speak on employment, youth, women or farmers. He diverts attention from real issues,” she said, insisting that the slogan was not meant as a threat.
The explanation failed to placate the BJP. Union Minister and BJP president JP Nadda raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha, calling the slogan “extremely reprehensible” and accusing the Congress of revealing its “true mentality”.
“Wishing for the death of the country's Prime Minister is extremely reprehensible. For this indecent language, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi should apologize to the country,” Nadda said.
Rijiju demands apology in both houses
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also demanded an apology from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
“They should apologise on the floor of both Houses. Political rivalry does not mean threatening lives. This kind of language is tragic and dangerous,” Rijiju told reporters and also posted on his X, adding that political opponents were rivals, not enemies.
Congress pushback, allies distance themselves
Congress MP Manickam Tagore dismissed the BJP’s reaction, saying the rally had “rattled” ruling party leaders. “They could not sleep after the rally,” he told NDTV.
However, key allies of the Congress sought to distance themselves from the remarks. Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Rai said political discourse should remain restrained, especially when referring to constitutional authorities. “No matter the differences, words should be chosen carefully,” he said.
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NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil also criticised the slogan, stating that such language was “not right”, regardless of political opposition.
The issue led to sharp exchanges in Parliament, with the BJP insisting on accountability while the Congress accused the ruling party of deflecting attention from its own governance record.
