New Delhi, Sept. 20 -- A political row erupted on Sunday after stand-up comedian Pulkit Mani mimicked Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme in Indore, with BJP leaders accusing the Congress of lowering political standards and opposition leaders defending the performance as part of democratic criticism.
The skit, performed during Saturday's event in Madhya Pradesh and later shared by the Congress on X, featured Mani approaching Gandhi, laughing and hugging him. "My friend. How are you?" Mani said. Gandhi replied, "I'm fine; how are you, Modi ji?" Mani responded, "Great harassment" and repeatedly used the phrase "my friend". Gandhi then said, "Very nice to meet you" and asked him to "tell me more". The comedian later said, "Maa ko kursi do, maa", while pointing towards the audience.
The performance triggered strong reactions from the BJP, with several leaders objecting to what they described as mockery of the prime minister and his late mother.
Union minister Piyush Goyal described the act as "cheap political theatre" and referred to Gandhi as "Asanskari naraz fufa (uncultured disgruntled uncle)". "The irony writes itself. The need to come on stage every now and then just to drag Prime Minister Modi ji's name into cheap political theatre never fails to amaze me," Goyal wrote on X, asking Gandhi to "look in the mirror".
Union minister Kiren Rijiju said he had not imagined that a party that had been in power for nearly six decades would become a "circus" entertaining its supporters. He also questioned Gandhi over the portrayal of an elderly woman and Modi in the performance, while sharing a video of Modi asking for a chair for an elderly woman at one of his programmes.
BJP national general secretary Smriti Irani posted a Hindi saying on X: "Jab nash manuj per chata hai, pehle vivek mar jaata hai" (When doom looms over a person, it is his conscience that dies first). BJP national secretary Sandeep Pathak described the performance as an expression of "desperation" and the "growing intellectual bankruptcy" of the Congress.
Union Education Minister Prahlad Joshi called the episode "shameful and disgusting", alleging that Gandhi and the Congress had mocked and insulted Modi's late mother. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, "A mother is not a subject of politics," while arguing that political opponents could be criticised without making remarks about a mother.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Gandhi could consider stand-up comedy as a career, claiming that this was the "only job left" for him and that he had already left his political party "unemployed".
Congress and other opposition leaders rejected the criticism. Congress leader Raashid Alvi said the incident was "mimicry and nothing else". He argued that the BJP should also recall remarks made by Modi about senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, which he described as insulting.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra defended the performance as a democratic right, saying people should be able to "fearlessly lampoon a PM". AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said BJP leaders had themselves made insulting remarks about Gandhi and his family and argued that those demanding respect should extend it to political opponents.
Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel said every mother deserved respect, asking why similar objections were not raised when the mothers of Gandhi and other leaders were allegedly targeted.
Congress MP Imraan Masood said the programme had "shattered eardrums" of BJP leaders and said they would respond when elections arrived. Congress leader
TS Singh Deo drew a distinction between criticism and abusive language, saying mimicry or joking criticism should not be objectionable but abusive language in public discourse was unacceptable.
AICC general secretary Ghulam Ahmad Mir said the programme had received an "overwhelming response", claiming that more than 200,000 young people had attended events under the initiative across India and Madhya Pradesh.
Gandhi's Indore session focused on issues including the cost of education, employment opportunities and concerns affecting students.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.