New Delhi: Barely a month and a half before the Bihar Assembly election — ostensibly the most crucial one of 2025 — and the Congress is on a rampage, walking right into one controversy after another. With three high-profile missteps in just the first half of September, the party seems to be handing the BJP more political ammunition than it can muster itself.
Humour doesn’t blunt the insult
The latest row erupted when the Bihar Congress circulated an AI-generated video mocking PM Modi. The 36-second clip depicted a Modi lookalike being rebuked by a character resembling his late mother, Hiraben Modi. What was perhaps conceived as satire quickly drew sharp criticism. BJP leaders slammed it as an “insult to all mothers,” with Union minister Anurag Thakur calling it a “shameful descent into mudslinging.”
Though the state Congress promised an internal inquiry, the defence from party leaders was muddled. Senior Congress figure Pawan Khera argued that politicians must “handle the opposition’s sense of humour.” But humour, especially in politics, is rarely without consequence.
Abuses at the rally stage
The video controversy came hard on the heels of another storm. During Rahul Gandhi’s Vote Adhikar Yatra in Darbhanga, some unidentified voices allegedly hurled abusive remarks about Modi’s late mother. The clip went viral, and the Prime Minister’s response — his voice cracking as he recalled his mother’s struggles and sacrifice — struck an emotional chord.
#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, “The mindset that abuses the mother, the mindset that abuses the sister, considers women to be weak. This mindset considers women to be objects of exploitation and oppression. Therefore, whenever the anti-women mindset has come to… pic.twitter.com/YqYdK0O0cB
— ANI (@ANI) September 2, 2025
“She is gone, yet targeted,” Modi said, calling it an insult not just to his mother but to the mothers and daughters of Bihar. His words, delivered against the backdrop of Bihar’s electoral battle, transformed what could have been dismissed as heckling into a moral issue. The BJP seized the moment, painting the Congress as insensitive and disrespectful.
Kerala’s misstep on B for beedi further fuels Bihar’s ire
If the party needed a precedent to the embarrassment, its Kerala unit did the deed last week. A social media post equating Bihar with bidis — “B for bidi, Bihar” — went live, supposedly to highlight GST changes. The backlash was swift. Even Congress allies, including RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, demanded an apology, while the BJP labelled it an insult to the people of Bihar.
The Congress scrambled to contain the damage. The Kerala state president condemned the post, rejigged the digital team, and senior leaders distanced themselves from the content. Yet, the damage was done. For many, the episode reinforced the perception that Congress lacks control over its digital machinery.
A pattern of apologies
These controversies are not isolated. From posts ridiculing religious figures to tone-deaf social media jibes, Congress’s online wing has often forced the leadership into damage-control mode. What should be a platform for shaping narrative has instead become a liability.
Apologies and inquiries have followed each misstep, but the repetition suggests a deeper problem: a disconnect between the party’s message and the sensitivities of the electorate it seeks to win over.
BJP’s gift that keeps giving
For the BJP, these gaffes are nothing short of political gold. At a time when it faces criticism over unemployment, inflation, and governance, the ruling party has found an easy diversion. Instead of defending its record, it can now posture as the protector of dignity, mothers, and Bihar’s honour.
As Sambit Patra quipped, Congress has turned into a “gali wali party.” For voters, this framing may stick longer than any policy critique.
The road ahead
The Bihar election is a question of do-or-die rather than a prestige battle for the Congress-RJD combine. But missteps like these weaken their claim of offering a credible alternative. At a time when precision, restraint, and discipline are paramount, the Congress’s repeated gaffes suggest a party distracted by its own digital echoes.
The coming weeks will reveal whether the grand old party can recalibrate its strategy. If not, the road to Patna may be paved not by the BJP’s strength but by the Congress’s own stumbles.