A political controversy has erupted over a segment at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme in Indore, where comedian Pulkit Mani mimicked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speaking style and made references to his mother and recent public interactions.
BJP has accused Gandhi of laughing at remarks aimed at the Prime Minister and criticised the Congress over the episode. The Congress, meanwhile, has also shared footage from the event, where Gandhi can be seen reacting to the performance.
What happened at Rahul Gandhi’s Indore event?
The incident took place during a short stand-up performance by Pulkit Mani at the student-focused programme.
Mani imitated Modi’s mannerisms, including the Prime Minister’s style of speaking about his interactions with foreign leaders. The act repeatedly used the phrase ‘my friend’ and referred to Modi’s foreign policy, his interactions with children and a coin trick.
At one point, Mani said, ‘My friend, how are you?’ Gandhi responded, ‘I’m fine, how are you, Modi ji?’
The performance also included references to the Galgotias controversy surrounding the AI Summit and comments involving Modi’s mother.
BJP targets Rahul Gandhi
The BJP said the episode crossed a line, alleging that Gandhi’s reaction amounted to mocking an elderly woman who had interacted with Modi at an earlier rally.
‘On one side, PM Modi gave respect and affection to an elderly mother, while on the other side, Rahul Gandhi mocked her at his event. This is the very difference between politics of values and politics of showmanship,’ the BJP’s national account posted on X.
BJP leaders, including Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Education Minister Prahlad Joshi, also criticised the Congress leader.
Joshi wrote, ‘Shameful and disgusting! Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party have stooped to an absolute nadir of moral bankruptcy. Weaponising a student interaction to mock and insult the late mother of PM Shri @narendramodi ji reveals a shocking lack of basic human empathy and political culture.’
Dhami said, ‘A mother is not a subject of politics. The insult to a mother cannot be acceptable in any civilized society. Engage in political opposition, but laughing at the indecent remarks made about the late mother of the Prime Minister ji exposes your own political culture.’
BJP spokesperson raises questions
BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan also attacked Gandhi over the episode, alleging that sharing the stage with people who made remarks about women and an elderly person reflected what he described as an ‘uncouth culture’
The controversy has added another political flashpoint around Gandhi’s Indore student outreach programme, which otherwise focused on students and issues concerning education, employment and the wider political system.
