'Has He Ever Made Tea? Drama For Votes': M Kharge's "Chaiwala" Jab At PM

In a remark that is sure to spark a massive political row, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi falsely claims he was a "chaiwala" (tea seller) just to get votes.

"To get votes, he keeps saying, 'I am a teaseller'. Has he ever made tea? Has he ever gone around with a kettle to serve tea to people? This is all just a naatak (drama). His habit is to oppress the poor," Kharge said at a gathering protesting against the government replacing the UPA-era MGNREGA Act with the G Ram G Act.

The Congress president said the ruling party is busy campaigning for elections. "Tell me one work they have done, like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru got so many big projects," he said.

देश को दो लोग चलाते हैं- नरेंद्र मोदी और अमित शाह। ये देश के लिए काम नहीं करते, सिर्फ चुनाव प्रचार में घूमते हैं।

मोदी जी कहते हैं कि बुलेट ट्रेन लाएंगे, लेकिन बुलेट ट्रेन तो दूर की बात है, ये नई पटरियां तक नहीं बिछा पाए।

ये गरीबों के लिए कोई काम तो कर नहीं पाए, पर हर जगह हरी… pic.twitter.com/5wRDOUx2nM

— Congress (@INCIndia) January 22, 2026

BJP leader Tom Vadakkan said it is a fact that the Prime Minister comes from a humble background, and that cannot be denied. "The Congress party has dynasts born with a silver spoon. Can they deny the entitlement they have had? The Congress does not stand on truth."

Prime Minister Modi has said in the past that his father ran a tea stall at Vadnagar station in Gujarat, and he helped him as a child. On several occasions, leaders of Congress have referred to this and courted political controversies. The BJP has often used the "dynasts" jab to counter these remarks.

Ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election, in which he led the BJP to a thumping win, Congress veteran Mani Shankar Aiyar had mocked Narendra Modi's humble background and said he would never get the top post. Prime Minister Modi is now in his third term.

During the Winter Session of Parliament last month, Congress leader Ragini Nayak shared an AI-generated video showing the Prime Minister walking with a kettle and glasses at what appears to be a global event.

In a sharp response, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said "Naamdar Congress cannot stand a Kamdar PM from the OBC community who has come from a poor background". "They mocked his Chaiwala background earlier too. They abused him 150 times. They abused his mother in Bihar. People will never forgive them."