Mimicry of PM Modi at Rahul Gandhi event irks BJP: ‘Mother isn't subject of politics’

A fresh row between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party has erupted after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with an elderly woman was mimicked at a Rahul Gandhi-led event.

The BJP slammed Gandhi after a video of the Raibarelli MP at a 'Chhatron ki Gonj' event in Indore went viral. In the video, the BJP has alleged that Gandhi mocked PM Modi's interaction with the elderly woman.

In the video shared by both the BJP and the Congress, Rahul Gandhi is seen laughing at the Indore event after the speaker referred to the interaction at the PM's previous 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," wrote the BJP's national account on X.

Several other BJP leaders, including Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and newly-appointed education minister Prahlad Joshi, also slammed Rahul Gandhi.

"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," Joshi wrote on X.

"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," the Uttarakhand CM also wrote on X.

BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan also condemned the Congress MP for sharing the stage with individuals who insulted women and an elderly person, stating that such actions reflect an uncouth culture and regressive politics.

What happened at the event?

At Gandhi's "Chhatron Ki Goonj" event in Indore, stand-up comedian Pulkit Mani took the stage for a short act.

During this act, the comic mimicked the prime minister's mannerisms and his way of speaking to foreign leaders.

The act also made references to Modi’s foreign policy, his mother and a coin trick the prime minister had performed with children.

The comic also repeatedly used the phrase “my friend”, mimicking Modi’s interactions with foreign leaders.

“My friend, how are you?” he said, after which Gandhi replied with - "I'm fine, how are you, Modi ji?"

During this act, Mani also made references to the Galgotias row during the AI Summit earlier this week, and then the 'mother' comment.