‘Party of jokers’, BJP attacks Congress; it hits back: ‘Rahul Gandhi standing with students’

A day after a comedian mimicked Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's "Chhatron Ki Goonj" event in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, the BJP criticized the Congress, branding it a "circus" and calling Gandhi an "uncultured grumpy uncle." In response, the Congress accused the BJP and RSS of corrupting the education system, and asserted that Gandhi supports students demanding accountability.

The controversy began when a video from the Congress X account showed comedian Pulkit Mani mimicking Modi, referencing "Narendra Modi's foreign policy." Union Minister Piyush Goyal dismissed the skit, urging Gandhi to "look in the mirror." Union Minister Kiren Rijiju called Congress a "party of comedians and jokers." UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath criticized Gandhi's "jhooth ki goonj" programme as an insult to Indian values.

BJP leaders, including Smriti Irani and Sandeep Pathak, condemned the mimicry, claiming it reflected the Congress's intellectual decline. The Congress countered, stating Gandhi is exposing the anti-student system controlled by the BJP-RSS.