A mimicry performance involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s student outreach programme in Indore has sparked a new political confrontation between the BJP and Congress.
Comedian Pulkit Mani performed an impression of Modi during the Chhatron Ki Goonj programme in Indore on Saturday, September 19. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was on stage and was seen laughing during portions of the performance.
BJP leaders subsequently accused Gandhi and Congress of crossing the boundaries of political criticism. Their objections focused particularly on parts of the performance that they said mocked an elderly woman and invoked Modi’s late mother. Congress figures disputed the BJP’s framing and defended political humour as part of democratic discourse.
What Happened at Rahul Gandhi’s Indore Programme?
The controversy originated at Chhatron Ki Goonj, a Congress-linked outreach programme focused on students and young people.
During the programme, Pulkit Mani mimicked Modi’s speaking style and mannerisms. Reporting on the performance says his act included references to Modi’s use of the phrase “my friend”, his interactions and hugs with foreign leaders, and other public appearances.
During one exchange, Mani said, “My friend, how are you?” Gandhi responded, “I’m fine, how are you, Modi ji?”
Gandhi also used the discussion to criticise Modi’s approach to foreign policy, saying that the prime minister’s role was not simply about maintaining friendships but about protecting the country.
Why Did the BJP Object?
BJP criticism went beyond the impersonation of Modi himself.
Party leaders alleged that another portion of the act mocked an interaction involving Modi and an elderly woman. Some BJP leaders characterised this as an insult involving the prime minister’s late mother.
That characterization is the BJP’s allegation, rather than an independently established description of the comedian’s intent. Congress representatives challenged the accusation.
Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi accused Gandhi and Congress of “moral bankruptcy” and alleged that a student interaction had been used to insult Modi’s late mother.
BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan similarly criticised Gandhi for laughing during the performance and argued that the act disrespected women and the elderly.
Kiren Rijiju Calls Congress a ‘Party of Comedians & Jokers’
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju joined the criticism after sharing a video of the performance.
Rijiju wrote: “Congress Party has become a Party of Comedians & Jokers!”
Other BJP figures also weighed in.
Former Union minister Smriti Irani reposted the Congress video with a Hindi saying roughly conveying that wisdom disappears when destruction approaches. Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, meanwhile, objected to what he described as ridicule of an elderly woman.
Piyush Goyal Calls Episode ‘Cheap Political Theatre’
Union minister Piyush Goyal described the episode as “cheap political theatre” and questioned the repeated use of Modi’s name during such political performances.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also targeted Gandhi, suggesting he should consider becoming a stand-up comedian. He further claimed that Gandhi had already rendered his political party “unemployed.”
These statements represent political criticism from BJP leaders rather than factual assessments of Gandhi’s political standing.
What Has Congress Said?
Congress figures pushed back against the BJP’s interpretation of the episode.
Senior Congress leader and former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat argued that political figures should accept such episodes as part of democratic life.
Rawat said that in politics, such things have to be accepted as a “natural process” and argued that an unwillingness to tolerate them was inconsistent with democratic politics.
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari also questioned the BJP’s allegation that the performance had insulted Modi’s late mother.
The competing reactions are central to understanding the controversy: BJP leaders have framed the performance as an unacceptable personal insult, while Congress figures have characterised the broader episode as political mimicry and satire.
‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ Was Focused on Student Issues
The controversy has partly overshadowed the original purpose of Gandhi’s Indore programme.
Chhatron Ki Goonj was organised as a student-focused outreach event where issues surrounding education, recruitment, examination irregularities and unemployment were discussed.
Gandhi used the programme to criticise what he described as problems within India’s education system, including paper leaks, and accused the BJP and RSS of exercising excessive influence over institutions.
Those are Gandhi’s political allegations; they should not be treated as independently established facts without separate evidence.
Congress subsequently sought to redirect attention toward these student concerns rather than the mimicry controversy.
The Dispute Is Now About More Than Mimicry
The episode illustrates how political satire can quickly become a larger dispute over the boundaries of acceptable political speech.
There is little dispute over the basic sequence captured in the video: Pulkit Mani performed an impression of Modi at the Indore programme, Gandhi interacted with him and was seen laughing.
The political disagreement concerns how that performance should be interpreted.
BJP leaders say portions of it crossed from political satire into personal disrespect, particularly because of references involving an elderly woman and Modi’s late mother. Congress figures dispute that characterization and argue that political leaders must tolerate humour and criticism in a democracy.
The controversy has consequently shifted attention away from the student issues that Chhatron Ki Goonj was designed to highlight and toward a broader BJP-Congress argument over political discourse, satire and personal boundaries.
