Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s sharp retort to an audience member at a Patna event on Sunday, October 25, 2026, triggered a political row within hours — and then took an unexpected turn when the man at the centre of it said he had been misunderstood.
Kharge was addressing an event marking the 139th birth anniversary of Dr Shri Krishna Singh, Bihar’s first chief minister, when the exchange happened. A person in the audience was heard saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not go anywhere. Kharge hit back from the stage: “Modi ka baap bhi jayega” — even Modi’s father will have to go — and, according to NDTV, repeated the line three times.
What happened in Patna
The commotion broke out mid-speech. As Kharge spoke, the words “Modi kahin nahin jayega” rang out across the hall. The Congress chief responded angrily, and the man who had spoken was immediately surrounded by attendees, thrown to the ground, thrashed by Congress supporters and thrown out of the venue, NDTV reported.
Video of the exchange, shared by news agency ANI, spread quickly on social media on Sunday afternoon, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responded within hours.
The man was later identified as Santosh Kumar. Speaking outside the hall after being pushed out, he said he was not a heckler at all — and that only part of what he said had been heard.
The misunderstanding twist
“I was saying that ‘unless there is a revolt, Modi will not go’. But only a part of it was heard and was misunderstood,” Santosh Kumar told reporters, according to NDTV.
He said he actually wanted Modi to go, and added: “Narendra Modi has done nothing for the country in 12 years as PM. The whole country is now rising against him in a massive public revolt.”
NDTV also reported the other half of the context: Kharge was himself saying the words “Modi will go to jail” — alleging electoral fraud, which has been at the centre of major protests this month — when Santosh Kumar’s half-sentence rang out in the hall. That, Santosh Kumar said, is how the misunderstanding was born.
What else Kharge said in the speech
The retort was only one part of a wide-ranging attack. Kharge accused the Prime Minister of having a habit of telling lies, asking where the black money was that Modi had promised to bring back in his first 100 days.
He launched a sharp attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), saying: “As long as the ideology of the RSS persists in this country, there will be no peace.” He accused the Sangh of engaging in communal activities since its inception, condemned the practice of untouchability while recalling the Haldwani purification incident in August, and questioned former Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar for switching to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance despite being a flagbearer of socialist ideology.
Kharge also targeted the BJP over the Ayodhya Ram temple issue, saying he prayed to Lord Ram to punish those who had allegedly looted wealth in the temple’s name.
The SIR demands: ‘second war of independence’
A large part of the speech was devoted to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Kharge described the protests against the exercise as a “second war of independence” and demanded an immediate halt to it, the use of ballot papers in all future elections, and the annulment of all assembly elections held over the past two years.
Alleging manipulation of electoral rolls and the deletion of opposition supporters’ names, he questioned the integrity of the electoral process and the Election Commission. “Governments stolen through ‘vote chori’ in West Bengal, Haryana, Bihar and Maharashtra must be removed,” he said, urging people to take to the streets, fight for their rights and safeguard the Constitution.
“Elections should be held using ballot papers to ensure transparency and restore public confidence. Democracy must be protected, and every vote must count,” he said.
How the BJP reacted
The BJP attacked Kharge as soon as the remark went viral. The Union Home Minister led the attack with a post on X, saying Kharge had “torn apart all norms of decorum” and that this was not the first time the Congress had used abusive language against Modi or his family — citing past insults aimed at his mother, the “merchant of death” jibe and the “chaiwala” mockery of his poverty.
Party spokesperson Tuhin A Sinha called the comment “disgusting, petulant, uncouth”. BJP chief Nitin Nabin, who is from Bihar, said that when the opposition had no solid issues left to debate on development, policies and public welfare, it resorted to “this kind of desperation and personal attacks”.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh, also from Bihar, said Modi, who turned 76 in September, “will stay in power for at least another 30 years”. BJP national media convenor Ashish Usha Agarwal said the comments exposed the Congress’s frustration and disregard for democratic decorum, and challenged Rahul Gandhi to explain where the party was heading under his leadership. National media co-in-charge Pradeep Bhandari linked the outburst to frustration over the Congress’s rally scheduled for November 1, claiming it was likely to attract a poor response.
Why it matters
The row lands in the middle of a heated national argument over electoral rolls, with the SIR exercise already the subject of street protests this month. Kharge’s speech bundled that argument together with the ballot-paper demand and the annulment call — the Congress’s sharpest electoral-reform pitch yet — and the Patna exchange has now given the BJP a ready-made counter-attack on tone and decorum.
It also shows how quickly a half-heard sentence can become a national controversy: within hours, a remark made in a Patna hall had drawn in the Home Minister, the BJP chief and a full round of television coverage — before the man involved had even finished explaining that he agreed with Kharge.
Timeline
- Sunday, October 25, 2026 (morning/afternoon): Kharge addresses the Shri Krishna Singh birth anniversary event in Patna; the exchange with the audience member and the ruckus follow.
- Sunday afternoon: ANI video of the exchange spreads on social media; the BJP begins its attack on X.
- Sunday afternoon: Santosh Kumar speaks outside the hall, saying he was misunderstood and actually wanted Modi to go.
- Sunday evening: Coverage updates through the day (New Indian Express updated 12:56 pm; Times Now updated 5:14 pm IST) carry the full BJP reaction and Kharge’s SIR demands.
Frequently asked questions
What did Mallikarjun Kharge actually say in Patna?
Responding to an audience member who was heard saying Narendra Modi would not go anywhere, Kharge said: “Modi ka baap bhi jayega” — even Modi’s father will have to go. NDTV reported he repeated the line three times.
Who was the man involved, and what did he say afterwards?
He was identified as Santosh Kumar. He said he was misunderstood: his full point was that “unless there is a revolt, Modi will not go” — and that he actually wanted Modi to go.
Why did the BJP react so strongly?
The BJP said Kharge had insulted not just the Prime Minister but his late father and the country, and accused the Congress of repeatedly crossing the limits of decency, citing past remarks about Modi’s mother, the “merchant of death” jibe and the “chaiwala” mockery.
What did Kharge demand on elections?
He demanded an immediate halt to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, ballot papers for all future elections, and the annulment of all assembly elections held over the past two years, calling the SIR protests a “second war of independence”.
What was the event in Patna?
It was an event marking the 139th birth anniversary of Dr Shri Krishna Singh, Bihar’s first chief minister.
Was anyone hurt in the ruckus?
Reports say Santosh Kumar was thrashed by Congress supporters and thrown out of the venue. No official statement on injuries was included in the reports checked for this article.
Related coverage
Serbia also voted on Sunday in a snap parliamentary election pitting the ruling party against the student-backed Student List — read our report on the Serbia snap election. You can find more international stories in our World section.