The BJP on Thursday claimed "extremely abusive language" was used against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his mother, Heeraben Modi, during a Bihar election campaign event this week that had posters of opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi of the Congress and the RJD's Tejashwi Yadav.
In a sharp post on X this morning, the party accused the opposition, i.e., the Congress-led INDIA bloc, of stooping to a new low in politics, and said Mr Gandhi and Mr Yadav's 'Voter Adhikar' yatra had "humiliated the people of Bihar (and) crossed all limits of insult, hatred, and lowliness".
"Tejashwi and Rahul used such dirty language from their stage... it is not even possible to repeat the words," the party raged on X, "This is such a mistake that even if Rahul Gandhi apologised by doing sit-ups holding his ear... for a thousand times... the people of Bihar will not forgive. Extremely shameful."
A 33-second video from the rally in Darbhanga district - at which Congress flags were waved, confetti shot into the air, and party workers on stage screamed into loudspeakers - has been widely shared.
राहुल गांधी और तेजस्वी यादव की यात्रा के मंच से प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेंद्र मोदी जी की स्वर्गीय माताजी के लिए बेहद अभद्र भाषा का प्रयोग किया गया।
— BJP (@BJP4India) August 28, 2025
राजनीति में ऐसी नीचता पहले कभी नहीं देखी गई। यह यात्रा अपमान, घृणा और स्तरहीनता की सारी हदें पार कर चुकी है।
तेजस्वी और राहुल ने पहले…
NDTV cannot independently verify the video, which shows the mob on an open stage headlined with a photo of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Tejashwi Yadav, neither of whom can be seen.
The controversy erupted after Congress and RJD workers, led by a local leader from the former, Naushad, stood on the dais waving party flags and shouting 'insults' at the Prime Minister.
The BJP also accused the opposition alliance of having disrespected Biharis by inviting political leaders from southern states - Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and his Telangana counterpart, Revanth Reddy - to campaign for the INDIA bloc before the Bihar election.
READ | MK Stalin-Rahul Gandhi-Tejashwi Yadav Photo Sparks DMK-BJP Face-Off
The Congress has distanced itself from the video and allegations of abusive language.
The BJP, though, refused to back down.
#WATCH | Patna, Bihar: BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain says, "Rahul Gandhi's yatra is failing, so for this he has started calling the CMs of many states. Telangana CM Revanth Reddy and Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin had abused the Biharis. What message does he want to give to the… pic.twitter.com/FNp06fm6s9
— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2025
Party leader Shahnawaz Hussain said, "The kind of language spoken against the PM... the kind of abuses hurled. Rahul Gandhi should apologise. People of Bihar love PM Modi and won't accept this."
The run-up to this election has been roiled by the 'special intensive revision' of the voter list.
Ordered by the Election Commission, the exercise has been criticised by an opposition that claims it is trying to disenfranchise lakhs of people and help the ruling BJP-Janata Dal United retain power.
They have accused the BJP and the poll body of having 'colluded to commit voter fraud in Karnataka and Maharashtra last year, and of trying to do the same in Bihar.
The BJP-JDU alliance has countered by accusing the opposition of trying to shield 'fake' voters, a charge buttressed by reports that foreign nationals had registered as voters.
Challenges to the SIR exercise - which has struck 65 lakh people of the voter list for reasons including death and shifting of residence - are being heard by the Supreme Court.
To combat what the opposition claims is 'voter fraud', Rahul Gandhi is on a 'voter adhikar', 'voter rights' rally across Bihar. The rally began August 17 and is to end in Patna on Monday.
With input from agencies
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