Kharge’s Outburst Exposes Congress’s Frustration

In Short

Kharge accused the RSS and BJP of pursuing an ideology that deepened divisions in the country.

Kharge accused the RSS and BJP of pursuing an ideology that deepened divisions in the country.
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Kharge accused the RSS and BJP of pursuing an ideology that deepened divisions in the country.

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A Congress event organised in Patna to mark the birth anniversary of Bihar’s first Chief Minister, Krishna Singh, popularly known as ‘Sri Babu’, descended into chaos after party president Mallikarjun Kharge made an objectionable remark about Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Kharge accused the RSS and BJP of pursuing an ideology that deepened divisions in the country. Describing protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as a “second war of independence”, he demanded an immediate halt to the exercise, the use of ballot papers in all future elections and the annulment of all Assembly elections held over the past two years.

However, the event took an unexpected turn when a party activist interrupted the Congress president, arguing that the party’s current anti-Modi strategy could not defeat Modi. He urged the Congress to change its narrative and adopt a different electoral strategy.

Kharge, an octogenarian, lost his cool and retorted, “Modi tho kya, uska baap bhi harega” (Not only Modi, but even his father will be defeated).

Mistaking the interrupter for a BJP worker, Kharge’s supporters reportedly pushed and assaulted him. It later emerged that the man was a Congress worker from Patna, seeking to draw attention to the problems within the party’s Bihar unit.

The incident drew a sharp reaction from the BJP, which described Kharge’s language as unacceptable. BJP leaders said the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha had lost his composure and was increasingly resorting to derogatory remarks against the Prime Minister and the BJP.

BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi said the episode reflected the Congress’s frustrated mindset, pointing out that the party had lost numerous elections. Similar views were expressed by another BJP leader, C R Kesavan.

According to Congress leaders in Patna, the activist had wanted to convey that all was not well within the state unit. Since Kharge was scheduled to return to Delhi immediately after the event, the worker apparently saw the occasion as an opportunity to express his concerns directly to the party president and stress the need for a more effective strategy. However, his intervention was misunderstood by Kharge and others present at the meeting, leading to the confrontation.

The BJP, meanwhile, demanded an apology from Kharge, arguing that such language was particularly objectionable when directed at the Prime Minister, who holds a constitutional office. BJP leaders accused the Congress president and his party of repeatedly making disparaging remarks and then evading responsibility—a strategy they described as “shoot and scoot”.

They further alleged that the Congress was displaying an increasingly anarchic mindset and that its frustration was growing as it faced the prospect of another disappointing political mobilisation. They claimed that the party’s proposed November 1 meeting at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan would also fail to make a significant impact.

The Patna episode has exposed more than an exchange of angry words. A party worker’s attempt to question the Congress’s electoral strategy ended in a public confrontation, raising questions about internal dissent and the leadership’s response to criticism. If the Congress is serious about challenging the BJP, it must be willing to listen to uncomfortable questions from within its own ranks rather than allowing frustration to overshadow political debate.

A Journey of Three Decades Time passes faster than we realise. What feels like a journey that began only yesterday has today grown into more than three decades of a meaningful and fulfilling life devoted to education, journalism, and the empowerment of young minds. My professional journey began with journalism training in New Delhi in 1979. I went on to work as an independent journalist, drawing on my fluency in both English and Telugu. Over the years, I have edited and worked on Telugu articles in both languages, an experience that strengthened my command of language and sharpened my understanding of society, people, and contemporary issues. Yet, my principal profession and enduring passion have always been teaching. My decision to become a teacher was not merely a career choice—it was a calling. Teaching offered me the rare privilege of inspiring young minds, guiding them through their formative years, and making a lasting difference in their lives. I found immense satisfaction in simplifying complex concepts, nurturing curiosity, encouraging independent thought, and building confidence among students. Every moment in the classroom—every question, every moment of discovery, and every spark of understanding—reminded me why I had chosen this path: to empower young people through knowledge, values, and essential life skills. My teaching career began at the grassroots level as a Montessori teacher and gradually progressed to the position of Vice Principal. I had the opportunity to work in reputed educational institutions, including Dilsukhnagar Public School in Hyderabad, where I shouldered both teaching and administrative responsibilities. Although I have always considered myself, at heart, a teacher, my administrative experience enabled me to understand and contribute to the education system from a much broader perspective. For my students, I have always tried to be an approachable and dependable presence—someone they could turn to not only for academic support, but also for guidance and emotional encouragement. At the same time, I developed a reputation as a firm disciplinarian who believed that integrity, fairness, responsibility, and discipline were fundamental to education. I was also consistently appreciated for maintaining clear communication with parents and staff and for ensuring that examinations and other academic processes were conducted with transparency, fairness, and efficiency. As my career progressed, however, I began to feel that academic education alone was not enough. This realization led me to work more closely with students following the SSC and CBSE curricula, while consciously bringing life-skills education into my teaching. I came to understand that education becomes truly meaningful when it prepares children not merely to pass examinations, but to face life. Teaching emotional resilience, self-reliance, social awareness, communication, decision-making, and other practical life skills often had a deeper and more lasting impact than academic achievement alone. I saw how these skills could help students navigate challenges with greater confidence, maturity, and responsibility. My academic background provided a strong foundation for this approach. My degree in Psychology from the University of Madras helped me develop a deeper understanding of young people's minds, their emotional needs, and the influence of their family and social environments. My M.A. in Telugu with First Class from Osmania University.

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