Just two days before Tamil Nadu was to go to the polls, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday sparked a major controversy by questioning the AIADMK’s alliance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi while referring to him as a “terrorist.”
The remark triggered immediate reactions from the BJP, with senior leaders condemning it as a new low in political discourse. Union minister Piyush Goyal accused the Congress and Kharge of “insulting” the 140 crore people of the country who had elected PM Modi. IT cell head Amit Malviya argued that such language reflects frustration and a lack of credible alternatives within the opposition. Party MP Sambit Patra said whenever “Congress insulted the PM, the people of the country have strongly replied”—jab bhi Congress ne pradhan mantri ji ka apman kiya hai, Bharat ki janta ne muh tod jawab diya hai.
Facing BJP’ backlash, Kharge clarified that he did not mean the term literally, but was only referring to the Prime Minister’s style of politics—how he “terrorises” and “threatens” political opponents by using central agencies such as the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate against them—so how could AIADMK align with him.
Politically, it is an episode that suits the BJP’s narrative. In the past also, personal attacks on PM Modi have ended up benefiting him and his party—somewhat like a boomerang effect on those who made it. Over the years, several high-profile remarks by Congress leaders have backfired electorally. For example in 2007, when Sonia Gandhi described him as a “maut ka saudagar” (merchant of death)—a comment that was widely seen as helping him consolidate support in Gujarat.
Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s “neech aadmi” remark was reframed by the BJP as an insult to PM Modi’s humble social background, generating sympathy among voters. In 2019, the “chowkidar chor hai” led to the BJP’s successful counter-campaign, “Main Bhi Chowkidar.” It remains to be seen how Kharge’s remark manifests in southern state Tamil Nadu.
Analysts say personal remarks against PM Modi help the BJP to construct a powerful narrative by framing them not just a criticism of an individual but as insults to a “self-made” leader or even to the nation. The “victim narrative” has proven politically effective, enabling the PM to be positioned as a leader who is targeted for working in the interests of ordinary citizens. The BJP also uses such comments as evidence of “elitist arrogance” within the Congress, contrasting it with PM Modi’s humble background.
BJP’s critics argue that such controversies only shift attention away from real issues such as unemployment, inflation, and rural distress, also the impact may not always be as expected.
“The 2024 Indian general election, for example, demonstrated that factors such as economic concerns, anti-incumbency, and local dynamics also contribute to the outcome. Personal insults can strengthen political narrative but the outcome depends on voters’ mood, which is built on larger and more important issues,” they say.