A comment by Karnataka minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in a recent cultural event has prompted a strong rebuttal from the BJP.
On Friday evening, the Prime Minister attended a ‘Bhajan clubbing’ programme held in a park opposite the BJP headquarters in Delhi. The gathering marked the 110th birth anniversary of Sangh Parivar ideologue Deendayal Upadhyay. Seated in the front row, Modi was seen clapping and playing a tambourine-like instrument while a bhajan dedicated to Lord Ram was performed. He later described the event as “Spectacular” in a social media post.
Bhajan clubbing is a contemporary cultural trend in which young people come together in high-energy, concert-style settings to sing, clap and dance to traditional Hindu devotional songs. The atmosphere resembles a club event but without alcohol, and the practice has gained popularity in several Indian cities and abroad.
On Saturday, Priyank Kharge questioned the Prime Minister’s presence at the event. In a social media post, he said the Prime Minister found time for “Bhajan Clubbing” but remained silent on questions related to the Election Commission. Kharge claimed that for 13 years a familiar pattern had emerged: the Prime Minister appeared at celebrations yet stayed absent when difficult questions of accountability arose.
The BJP responded sharply. Party spokesperson C.R. Kesavan accused the Congress leader of mocking and insulting India’s civilisational heritage of bhajan and bhakti. He described Kharge as conversant only with praising the Congress first family and challenged him to address questions of accountability regarding Rahul Gandhi, noting the party’s losses in three consecutive Lok Sabha elections and nearly 100 assembly contests under his leadership.
The exchange has added another layer to the ongoing political exchanges between the ruling party and the opposition, centred this time on a cultural event that blended traditional devotion with a modern, youth-oriented format.