Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge regretted his remarks made in Kerala, where he said Modi and Vijayan could fool ‘illiterate’ people in Gujarat. He claimed his words were misinterpreted, even as the BJP slammed him for the comments.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday expressed regret over remarks from a recent election speech in Kerala, saying they were “deliberately misinterpreted” and affirming his respect for the people of Gujarat. In a post on X, Kharge wrote, “Some remarks of mine in a recent election speech in Kerala are being deliberately misinterpreted. Even so, I express my sincere regret. It was never my intention to hurt the sentiments of the people of Gujarat for whom I have always had and will continue to have the highest of respect.”
Some remarks of mine in a recent election speech in Kerala are being deliberately misinterpreted. Even so, I express my sincere regret. It was never my intention to hurt the sentiments of the people of Gujarat for whom I have always had and will continue to have the highest of… — Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) April 8, 2026
The Controversial Remark
This comes after a poll campaign in Kerala’s Idukki district, Congress president sought to make a comparison between people in Keralam and in Gujarat as he attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and said the two leaders “can fool people who are illiterate in Gujarat or in other places” but not in the poll-bound state.
“Don’t misguide the people of Keralam. They are very clever, they are educated. Modi ji, Vijay (Pinarayi Vijayan), you both can fool people who are illiterate in Gujarat or in other places, but you can’t fool Keralam people,” he said.
BJP Hits Back
His remarks drew strong criticism from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and ignited a nationwide political debate. BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi slammed Kharge over his remarks and said the Congress party has “never done justice to the enlightened people of Keralam”.
“This statement by the Congress National President, Mallikarjun Kharge, is part of a deliberate strategy by the Congress party, which wants to prove the dream of ‘Bharat tere tukde honge, Inshallah”. This isn’t the first time this statement has been made. Chidambaram had said that if the North hadn’t existed, the South would have been far ahead. This is the same Congress party whose Finance Minister in Kharge’s state had said that the South pays more taxes and should therefore separate from the North… This is the same Congress party whose Chief Minister of Telangana had made this statement by name regarding the DNA of the people of Bihar… The people of Keralam are very enlightened and are now demonstrating their enlightenment. That’s why, after 45 years of Left rule in Thiruvananthapuram, the BJP won the municipal elections,” Trivedi said.
Kerala Polls
Keralam will witness polls on April 9, and results will be announced on May 4 along with Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam and Puducherry. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)