Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s address at the INDIA bloc rally in Delhi on Sunday began with an unusual warning to the audience, as persistent slogans and loud music forced him to pause before delivering his speech. The gathering, organised to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, also brought renewed attention to the political controversy surrounding Kharge’s recent remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Kharge remained silent on stage for nearly 30 seconds as chants rang out and a string instrument was played loudly. He then told the crowd that the length of his speech would depend on whether the audience settled down.

“Dekho, aap agar chup baithenge, main paanch minute mein apna bhashan khatm kar raha hun. Agar chup nahin baithenge, main ek ghanta bhashan karunga,” he said, warning that he would finish in five minutes if the crowd remained quiet but speak for an hour if the interruptions continued.

The Congress chief eventually addressed the gathering for around nine minutes. While he did not repeat the controversial phrase that had triggered a political confrontation the previous week, he reiterated his position on the Prime Minister’s political future.

“Modi jayega, tabhi loktantra bachega,” Kharge said, arguing that democracy would survive only when Modi left office.

Slogans revive controversy over Kharge’s Patna speech

The rally also saw a section of the crowd repeat the phrase “Modi ka baap bhi jayega”, echoing the words Kharge had used during a speech in Patna on October 25. The remark had drawn sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which demanded an apology and announced plans for protests across the country.

The controversy began after an audience member, Santosh Kumar, was heard saying “Modi kahin nahin jayega” during Kharge’s address in Patna. Kharge responded with the disputed phrase, repeating it three times.

Kumar was subsequently beaten and forced out of the venue by other attendees. Speaking to NDTV later, he said his original statement had not been heard in its entirety. According to Kumar, he had said that Modi would not leave unless the public revolted.

Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput defended Kharge at the time, maintaining that the Congress president had used an idiomatic expression. Rajput also argued that Modi had made more objectionable remarks in the past.

The BJP, meanwhile, has sought to counter the Congress president’s statement with the slogan “Modi kahin nahin jayega”, asserting that the Prime Minister would remain in office.

Rahul Gandhi targets Election Commission chief

Kharge addressed the rally before Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, who also referred to the earlier controversy by holding up a placard featuring Kharge’s face and the words “final boss”.

Gandhi launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission, describing the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as “illegal” and predicting that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar would lose his position and face imprisonment.

The removal of Kumar and opposition to the SIR exercise were central demands at the rally. Opposition parties have raised concerns over the revision of electoral rolls, making the exercise a major point of confrontation with the Election Commission.

Several prominent INDIA bloc leaders attended the gathering, including Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee.

Before the speeches, participants marched approximately 1.5 kilometres from the Minto Road–Connaught Place junction to Ramlila Maidan, where the rally was held.

The BJP dismissed the event as a “flop show”, claiming that people began leaving the venue while Rahul Gandhi was addressing the gathering.