New Delhi: A political row has erupted after a stage performance at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event in Indore, where comedian
Pulkit Mani mimicked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mannerisms and style of speaking.
Gandhi was on stage during the performance, which was recorded and shared on social media. BJP leaders criticised the Congress leader over the act, particularly over a portion that referred to an incident involving an elderly woman at one of Modi’s rallies.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju attacked Gandhi on X, writing, “Congress Party has become a Party of Comedians & Jokers! They are out forever RIP”.
Congress Party has become a Party of Comedians & Jokers!
They are out forever…. RIP 🙏 pic.twitter.com/80YaZfqEal
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) September 20, 2026
BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan also criticised the performance, describing it as foul-mouthed antics by cheap, vulgar trolls. He said the episode showed what he called an uncouth culture and questioned Gandhi’s ability to connect with young people.
BJP leaders target Rahul Gandhi over stage act
Kesavan also alleged that Gandhi had insulted ‘Naari Shakti’ by participating in a performance that mocked an elderly woman. He linked the controversy to the recent Delhi University Students’ Union elections, where the RSS-affiliated ABVP won three of the four central panel posts.
Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi also criticised the Congress leader and alleged that the performance was aimed at mocking Modi’s late mother.
“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.
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… https://t.co/hkyliBuYMy
— Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) September 19, 2026
What happened at Rahul Gandhi’s Indore event?
During the act, Mani imitated Modi’s speech patterns and his conversations with foreign leaders, repeatedly using the phrase ‘my friend’. He asked Gandhi, “How are you, my friend?’ Gandhi replied, ‘How are you, Modi ji?’ Mani then responded, ‘Great harassment,’ before laughing.
The performance also included a reference to an occasion when Modi had reportedly asked organisers to arrange a chair for an elderly woman at a BJP rally. BJP leaders objected to the way the incident was portrayed.
The controversy comes weeks after another political row over remarks made by Gandhi during a Congress event in August involving Modi’s interactions with foreign leaders. The latest episode has added another point of confrontation between the BJP and Congress with BJP leaders continuing to question Gandhi’s presence during the performance.
