‘Dragging parents into politics is wrong’: Priyanka Chaturvedi on Kharge’s Modi remark

New Delhi: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi has criticised the declining standard of political discourse following Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s controversial remark about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s father, urging political parties to exercise restraint and focus on issues affecting ordinary citizens.

Reacting to the controversy in Delhi, Chaturvedi said the increasingly poor language used by political leaders was unfortunate.

However, she questioned whether the latest war of words was drawing attention away from pressing national concerns, including inflation, corruption and allegations of vote theft. 

‘The continuously declining standard of language used by everyone in politics is unfortunate,’ Chaturvedi said, stressing that political parties should have paid greater attention to several challenges the country faces. 

She pointed out that economic pressures, corruption allegations, and difficulties confronting young people still demanded answers.

She said the latest controversy risked diverting public attention from these concerns and other issues that require political accountability.

Calling for restraint across party lines, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said political disagreements should not excuse dragging public figures' families into partisan battles.

Chaturvedi specifically objected to references to parents, siblings, and children, arguing that family members with no direct involvement in politics should not become targets in political exchanges.

She said bringing mothers, fathers, sisters, daughters and children into political disputes was completely wrong, reiterating that political leaders should maintain dignity even while expressing strong disagreement with their opponents.

Her remarks came after Kharge triggered a political controversy during an event in Patna on Sunday, held to mark the 139th birth anniversary of Bihar’s first chief minister, Shri Krishna Singh.

During his address, Kharge responded sharply to an audience member who appeared to insist that Modi would not leave office.

The Congress president was heard saying, ‘Modi ka baap bhi jayega’, a remark that drew immediate criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BJP condemned the statement as inappropriate and demanded accountability from the Congress leadership.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah was among the senior BJP leaders who criticised Kharge over the remark.

The controversy subsequently escalated into a fresh confrontation between the ruling party and the principal opposition party.

The exchange also prompted a clarification from audience member Santosh Kumar, who said his words were misunderstood and that he meant Modi would not leave unless there was a rebellion. His explanation added another dimension to the political dispute.

Against this backdrop, Chaturvedi’s intervention sought to bring the debate back to political conduct and substantive public concerns.

While acknowledging the deterioration in political language, she emphasised that the country’s economic challenges, corruption concerns, electoral controversies and youth-related issues should not be overshadowed by personal attacks.

Her appeal for restraint also underscored the importance of separating criticism of political leaders from references to their relatives.

As the BJP and Congress continued to spar over Kharge’s remark, Chaturvedi’s message was clear: political parties must debate policies and public issues without dragging families into their disputes.