JP Nadda Apologises After Uproar On "Mental Balance" Remark On M Kharge

Union minister JP Nadda, whose "lost his mental balance" remark about Conngress chief Mallikarjun Kharge sparked a tumult in the Lok Sabha during the discussion on Operation Sindoor, has apologized to the Congress chief. 

"I have taken back my words. I also apologize if your feelings have been hurt," he told the veteran leader. 

The row had started when Mr Kharge concluded his fiery speech with strong remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Nadda responded immediately, saying the senior leader has "lost his mental balance" -- sparking a storm of protest from the Opposition benches. He also demanded that demanded that Mr Kharge's comments be expunged since they were made in a "flow of emotion".

"He has long experience. The choice of words used during his speech did not reflect his stature. The kind of words used by him were below his stature. Therefore, I urge you to expunge those words," he told the chair.

Mr Kharge had said Mr Nadda was one of the ministers in the NDA government whom he respected. It was a "matter of shame" that such remarks were made, he added.

"JP Nadda is among the two or three ministers whom I respect a lot. But he is calling me mental. It is a matter of shame, he should apologize, I am not going to leave him," Mr Kharge said. 

Shortly, Mr Nadda issued his apology. Then he added, "But I want to say that you got so carried away by your emotions that you could not even take care of the dignity of the Prime Minister. We are sad about this".

Speaking during the debate on Operation Sindoor in Rajya Sabha, Mr Kharge had echoed Congress's Priyanka Gandhi and raised questions on the accountability of the government.

"Since BJP has come to power, there have been attacks in the country. Yet there has been no action taken on it. Uri and Pathankot attack in 2016, the Pulawama attack in 2019 and now the Pahalgam attack in 2025," Mr Kharge said. 

"All these incidents have made it clear that there has been a recurring intelligence failure and a failure in the national security... I want to ask the Home Minister on who is taking accountability for this? What has the government done to rectify the mistakes in the intelligence failures? If you are responsible, vacate your post. If no, what action has the Prime Minister been taking...?" Mr Kharge said.

"How long can you live off the legacy of blaming your predecessors?" he added.