A political controversy has erupted in India after slogans targeted at Prime Minister Narendra Modi were reportedly raised at a Congress party rally in the national capital. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday strongly condemned the language used during the event, saying the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has never spoken about killing anyone and demanded  an apology from Congress leaders.  

The controversy stems from a Congress rally held on December 14 at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, which was part of the party’s “Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod” campaign. Videos circulating on social media showed some attendees chanting the slogan “Modi, teri kabar khudegi” (which translates to “Modi, your grave will be dug”) against the Prime Minister. The BJP reacted sharply to the slogan, describing it as threatening and inappropriate for political discourse.  

Addressing the issue, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju criticised the Congress for what he called an “unacceptable” choice of words used by some of its workers. He said the Congress president and Leader of the Opposition should apologise to the nation from within Parliament.  

Rijiju said that the BJP and NDA have always maintained a high standard of political speech and conduct. He pointed to a past incident in 2014 when a BJP MP used inappropriate language about political rivals, and recalled that Prime Minister Modi had immediately asked the MP to apologise, which she did to show how seriously the party takes decorum in public dialogue.  

“The level of language in a democracy should be understood by all of us. BJP-NDA never said anything about killing anyone or anyone’s parents. We might be political rivals, but we wish each other well if one is ailing, on birthdays or on such occasions.” Rijiju said, underlining that even political opponents should be treated with respect.  

Rijiju further questioned the motivation behind slogans calling for harm to the Prime Minister. He criticised what he called a dangerous mind-set that publicly promotes violence against political rivals, adding, “What kind of mind-set is this which makes public announcements about killing rivals? If some opposition leaders speak about killing the PM, it is really unfortunate. Merely condemning is not enough.”  Another Union Minister, Rajiv Ranjan, also targeted the Congress, accusing the party of turning to abusive language in its political rhetoric because of losing public trust. He said that despite its ambitions to govern the country, the party now resorts to “absurd allegations” and aggressive language that have “nothing to do with actual politics.”  

In response to the BJP’s demand for an apology, the Congress party has rejected the accusations and described the controversies as “baseless drama.” Congress MP K.C. Venugopal dismissed the BJP’s claims, saying the ruling party was trying to divert attention from the success of the rally in Delhi.  

Venugopal questioned whether any Congress leader used such language officially, and criticised the Home Minister Amit Shah for his own remarks in Parliament last week, implying that both sides use strong language in political settings.  Another Congress leader, Manickam Tagore, defended the party’s position and argued that the BJP was unsettled by the turnout and impact of the rally. He also pointed to the BJP’s own parliamentary language, asking rhetorically: “In Parliament, Home Minister Amit Shah used the word ‘saala’ (a derogatory term). Who should apologise for that?”  

The slogan on Sunday emerged amid the ‘Vote Chor, Gaddi Chhod’ campaign, which Congress has been running to protest against the BJP government, alleging electoral irregularities and demanding accountability in governance. The rally at Ramlila Maidan was one of the major events in this campaign, drawing attention from political observers nationwide.  Political tensions between the ruling NDA and opposition parties have been escalating in the run-up to upcoming elections in several states, and rallies like this have seen heated exchanges between workers and leaders of different parties.  

The incident has reignited a broader debate about the tone of political speech in India. While parties argue about freedom of expression, critics on both sides of the political divide have raised concerns about whether rhetoric used during political rallies and protests remains within acceptable limits of democratic conduct. 

The controversy over the slogan “Modi, teri kabar khudegi” has triggered a fierce political exchange between the BJP and Congress, with the BJP demanding an official apology and terming the remarks unacceptable, and Congress dismissing the criticism as politically motivated. With both parties standing firm on their positions, the episode highlights deepening political polarisation and ongoing disputes over political rhetoric and responsibility in India’s democratic process.