A major political controversy erupted after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge allegedly made remarks comparing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to “poisonous snakes” during an election rally. The BJP strongly objected to the statement, calling it offensive and unacceptable, and filed complaints with both the police and the Election Commission. The situation further intensified with parallel developments involving Congress leader Pawan Khera and allegations against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad sharply criticised Kharge’s remarks. He described the comments as “deeply objectionable” and said they crossed the limits of acceptable political language. Prasad demanded a public apology from Kharge, not only for his remarks about the BJP and RSS but also for his earlier comments about the people of Gujarat and other states.

“Do they agree with this statement? If Rahul Gandhi has any sense, he should distance himself from this remark, condemn it, and demand an apology,” Prasad said. He went further to question Kharge’s suitability as Congress president, stating that he “does not deserve to remain Congress president” for making such remarks. He also asked whether Kharge had “abandoned all sense of dignity” associated with the position.

Prasad highlighted the legacy of the Congress president’s post by naming past leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Dr Rajendra Prasad, Maulana Azad, Sonia Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and even Rahul Gandhi. “What kind of language is being used by someone holding such a post? Kharge’s comment is not only demeaning, but shameless and utterly despicable,” he said.

The controversy also relates to another statement made by Kharge at a rally in Kerala’s Idukki. There, he said that people in the state were “educated and clever” and could not be misled, unlike those who were “illiterate” in Gujarat and some other places. This comment drew strong criticism from the BJP, with Prasad demanding an apology to the people of Gujarat, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. “Kharge, you owe an apology to the country. On behalf of the BJP, we demand that you apologise for calling the people of Gujarat illiterate,” he said.

The most controversial remark came during a rally in Assam’s Sribhumi district. Referring to a teaching from the Quran, Kharge said that if a poisonous snake appears while someone is offering namaz, it is acceptable to stop the prayer and kill the snake. He then added, “I would say that breaking the namaz does not matter. The RSS and the BJP are that poisonous snake.”

Following this, the BJP social media in-charge Ranjib Kumar Sarmah filed a police complaint against Kharge, accusing him of making derogatory statements. An FIR was registered at the Basistha police station in Guwahati. Another complaint was also submitted to the Election Commission.

At the same time, a separate controversy unfolded involving Congress leader Pawan Khera. A team of Assam Police conducted a search at his residence in Delhi. This action came two days after Khera made allegations against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sharma. Khera had claimed that she possessed multiple foreign passports and held undisclosed assets abroad.

According to a senior Assam Police officer, a case had already been registered in Guwahati, and the team visited Khera’s residence as part of the investigation. “A case has been registered in the crime branch police station in Guwahati and we came looking for Pawan Khera in that connection. He was not present at his house,” the officer said. “We conducted a search at his residence and found some incriminating things which we cannot disclose at present. We have no idea where Khera is, but he will be traced soon.”

Khera had alleged that the Chief Minister’s wife holds passports from four countries, including the UAE, Antigua and Barbuda, and Egypt. He also claimed she owns property in Dubai and has registered a company in Wyoming in the United States. Both Sarma and his wife rejected these allegations, calling them baseless. Sarma stated that the documents presented by Khera were fake and possibly created using AI, and were sourced from a Facebook page linked to Pakistan.

On Monday, the Congress filed a petition with the Election Commission seeking Sarma’s disqualification from the assembly polls, citing non-disclosure of foreign assets. Another complaint was submitted to the Enforcement Directorate, requesting action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Reacting strongly, Sarma claimed that Khera had fled to Hyderabad. “Assam Police will get him from ‘pataal’, if needed. He will have to disclose where he got these forged documents. I doubt he got them from Rahul Gandhi. If that’s the case, we will take action against him too,” he said.

Kharge responded to the developments by defending his party’s actions. “We have made some serious allegations (against Sarma and his wife), they have a double-engine government and should check them out. But instead of doing that if they lodge FIRs, let them be. We will face whatever happens,” he said.

The situation escalated further after Sarma made a controversial remark about Kharge, saying, “Kharge is ageing and is speaking like a pagal (madman).” This comment triggered strong reactions from Congress. Party leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the statement and called it disrespectful, especially considering Kharge’s position and background.

Gandhi said that such language was not just an attack on an individual but an insult to the entire SC/ST community. He also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the matter. “If the Prime Minister sees an attack on the dignity of crores of Dalits in the country and does not speak up - he is not only shirking his responsibility, but is also a party to that insult,” Gandhi said.

He further added that the use of “vulgar and derogatory language” against Kharge was “entirely condemnable, shameful, and unacceptable”. Gandhi emphasised Kharge’s stature as a senior Dalit leader and said, “Kharge ji is a senior and popular Dalit leader of the country - his experience, stature, and prestige are unparalleled. Insulting him is not an insult to one individual alone, but also to crores of people from the SC-ST community in this country.”

The ongoing political clash highlights rising tensions between the BJP and Congress during the election period, with both sides accusing each other of misconduct and inappropriate language.