A fiery political storm erupted on April 22 (Wednesday), as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation stormed the Election Commission of India (ECI) offices, demanding swift action against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for labelling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “terrorist” during a heated Tamil Nadu election campaign rally.
Led by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, the group branded the remark a ‘grave insult to the nation,’ insisting it crossed all boundaries of decency and could not be normalised ahead of elections.
Mallikarjun Kharge’s fiery speech and instant backlash
Kharge unleashed the controversial line on April 21 (Tuesday) in Chennai, the final day of campaigning for Tamil Nadu’s April 23 Assembly elections, railing against the AIADMK-BJP alliance as antithetical to Dravidian icons like Periyar, Ambedkar, Annadurai, Kamaraj and Karunanidhi.
He accused PM Modi of rejecting equality, justice and fraternity, declaring, “How can these AIADMK people join hands with PM Modi when their party itself was founded by Annadurai? He is a terrorist.”
The outburst, aimed at undermining the NDA’s Dravidian ties, ignited immediate fury from BJP ranks, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah decrying it as Congress hitting “new lows” and shaming democratic discourse.
BJP’s ECI offensive and Congress clarification
Kiren Rijiju voiced the delegation’s outrage on X, stating they met the ECI ‘with deep sorrow and anger,’ urging immediate cognizance to curb such disgraceful conduct. BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan piled on, calling it a reflection of Congress’s “diseased mentality” that threatens national unity and Ambedkar’s Constitution.
Facing backlash, Mallikarjun Kharge swiftly clarified he meant PM Modi “terrorises political opponents” via agencies like ED, CBI and Income Tax, not literally a terrorist and accused the Prime Minister of wielding delimitation threats- yet the damage was done, amplifying pre-poll tensions.
A high-level BJP delegation met the @ECISVEEP today with deep sorrow and anger.
For @kharge ji to call Hon’ble PM @narendramodi ji a “terrorist” is not just a remark, it is a grave insult to the entire nation.
Such disgraceful conduct cannot be normalised. We have urged the… pic.twitter.com/oBkzPkaWf0— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) April 22, 2026
Amit Shah’s rebuke
In a tweet, Amit Shah lambasted Mallikarjun Kharge on X, highlighting Modi’s decade-long anti-terror strides and predicting voter backlash: “Every time Congress hurls abuses at Modi Ji, the people of India answer them.”