‘Cheap theatre’ vs ‘democratic right’: BJP, Opposition spar over PM Modi's mimicry at Rahul Gandhi event

A war of words broke out between BJP leaders and leaders of several opposition parties over the mimicry of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' event in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore on Saturday.

While several BJP leaders called it a “cheap political theatre” and suggested that Gandhi should “become a stand-up comedian”, opposition leaders from the Congress, AAP and TMC rallied in his support.

BJP leaders target Rahul Gandhi over Modi’s mimicry

Union minister Piyush Goyal criticised Gandhi's act, describing it as “cheap political theatre”. In a post on X, he wrote, “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.”

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said Gandhi could consider “stand-up comedy” as a career. He said that the Congress leader had already left his political party "unemployed."

“I feel this is the only job left for Rahul Gandhi now. If Rahul Gandhi takes up the profession of a stand-up comedian and does mimicry there, he could secure very good employment. As for his political party, he has already rendered it unemployed,” he told news agency ANI.

Other BJP leaders criticised Gandhi over what they described as the “mocking and insulting” of PM Modi's late mother during the incident.

Union education minister Prahlad Joshi posted on X, “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.”

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami wrote, “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.”

Congress, TMC, AAP side with Rahul Gandhi

Opposition parties defended the mimicry, arguing that criticising the prime minister is part of democratic rights.

Congress leader Raashid Alvi said the incident involved "mimicry and nothing else". He alleged that the "real insult" came from remarks Modi had made about senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

"Rahul Gandhi was only smiling and laughing, but Rahul Gandhi was not laughing alone. The entire crowd was laughing, especially the women who were present there. If a woman is being insulted, will women also laugh?" he told ANI.

"The BJP should remember the remarks made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi about Sonia Gandhi. Those remarks amounted to an insult. Insult is what the Prime Minister said about Sonia ji. This is mimicry and nothing else," he added.

TMC MP Mahua Moitra said that it was not “crass humour” but a “long-awaited phenomenon”. In a post on X, she wrote, “No, this is not crass humour. This is not immature behaviour. This is a much-needed long-awaited phenomenon. To fearlessly lampoon a PM is a democratic right long denied to Indians.”

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said BJP leaders had themselves “made insulting remarks about Rahul Gandhi and his family”.

He told news agency ANI, “...The BJP must be made to face the same treatment it has given to others. Today, BJP leaders are protesting, but these are the same leaders who have mocked Arvind Kejriwal and made insulting remarks about Rahul Gandhi and his family. Now the party is talking about respect and dignity. If you want respect, learn to show it first.”