Rijiju Calls Congress ‘Party of Comedians and Jokers’ Over Modi Impersonation

NEW DELHI, Sept 19 : The ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress traded barbs after a stand-up comedian impersonated Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event in Indore on Saturday.

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju criticised the Congress over the incident, describing it as a “party of comedians and jokers.”

“I hadn't imagined that a party which was in power for nearly six decades would turn into such a circus who are busy entertaining their own shrunk supporters. Indians are proud that our Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the most popular elected leader of the world!” Rijiju said in a social media post on Sunday.

During the student-focused programme, stand-up comedian Pulkit Mani mimicked Modi’s mannerisms and speaking style, particularly his interactions with foreign leaders. Gandhi appeared to play along with the act as the audience cheered.

Mani repeatedly used the phrase “my friend” while mimicking the Prime Minister’s style and also made references to Modi’s late mother and a coin trick he had performed for children.

The comedian also referred to “Galgotias”, apparently recalling the controversy surrounding a Chinese humanoid robot showcased by the university during the India Global AI Summit.

The performance included a reference to Modi’s mother, with Mani saying, “Maa ko kursi do, maa.”

Congress leaders later shared clips of the interaction on social media. The party’s official handle posted one video with the captions, “Narendra Modi ki Foreign Policy” and “My friend!! Great Harassment!!”

The BJP criticised Gandhi and the Congress over the performance, particularly the reference to Modi’s late mother, accusing the Opposition party of endorsing what it described as “uncouth” and “third-rate antics”.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said it was “extremely shameful and painful” to see remarks made about Modi’s late mother while Gandhi laughed during the performance. “A mother is not a subject of politics,” he said.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav also criticised Gandhi, describing his conduct as “shameful” and “condemnable”.

The latest controversy comes amid an ongoing war of words between the BJP and Congress over Modi’s public mannerisms and foreign policy. At an earlier Congress event, Gandhi and party leader Sandeep Dikshit had hugged each other in an apparent dig at the Prime Minister’s foreign policy.

The Indore episode also comes against the backdrop of an intensifying social media battle between the two parties, including the circulation of AI-generated images targeting leaders from both sides. Congress’ Kerala unit had shared AI-generated images targeting BJP leaders, following which BJP state units retaliated with AI-generated images involving senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.