‘I may forgive, people of Bharat won’t’: Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday turned visibly emotional as he condemned the alleged abuse directed at his late mother during the Congress-RJD’s Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar, declaring that while he may forgive the culprits, the people of Bihar and Bharat would not.

His remarks came as the BJP announced a state-wide bandh on September 4 in protest, escalating the row into a major political flashpoint.

Addressing Jeevika Didis virtually at the launch of the Bihar Rajya Jeevika Nidhi Saakh Sahkari Sangh, Modi recalled with anguish how his mother, who passed away after completing 100 years, was dragged into political mudslinging.

“You all know that my mother is no longer in this world. She had nothing to do with politics, yet from the Congress-RJD stage, she was subjected to vile abuses. This is deeply saddening, painful, and distressing,” the Prime Minister said, his voice breaking.

'Anti-woman mentality'

He added: “What was the fault of that mother? Modi might forgive you once, but the land of Bihar and India has never tolerated the insult of a mother.”

Slamming what he described as an “anti-woman mentality” in politics, Modi said such abusive acts demean not just him, but the dignity of all mothers, sisters, and daughters of India. He called on the people to seek answers from Congress and RJD leaders at every public meeting and rally.

The controversy stems from the Darbhanga leg of the Voter Adhikar Yatra, where abusive slogans against Modi’s mother were allegedly raised from the stage, which carried posters of Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav.

Neither leader was present at the time, but the remarks quickly sparked a storm, with BJP leaders across Bihar calling it an insult that had “shamed the land of Bihar.”

The BJP on Tuesday announced a Bihar Bandh on September 4, to be observed from 7 am to noon, in protest against the remarks. Emergency services and railway operations will remain unaffected, but road traffic is expected to come to a standstill. Notably, the protest will be led by the BJP Mahila Morcha, marking the first time the women’s wing will spearhead a statewide shutdown in Bihar’s political history.

BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal said the entire NDA alliance was backing the bandh. “A mother is a mother, whether she belongs to RJD, Congress or BJP. Mother is the form of God. To abuse a mother from any political platform is a blot on democracy,” he said, urging the people to support the bandh wholeheartedly.

Despite the arrest of an individual accused of making the offensive remarks, neither Congress nor RJD has issued an apology, further fuelling BJP’s offensive. Modi, in his address, also invoked Bihar’s tradition of worshipping Chhathi Maiya and stressed that the state’s people would never forgive an insult to a mother.

With assembly elections looming, the controversy has set the stage for a fierce political battle in Bihar, with the BJP vowing to take the issue to every household as a symbol of opposition “disrespect” for women and mothers.