Kharge slams PM Modi's SRCC speech, calls it a 'political campaign'

Mallikarjun Kharge hit out at PM Modi for his SRCC speech, alleging it was a political campaign to evade questions on youth issues. Kharge said the PM uses 'adjectives' to hide failures, a day after Modi called critics 'Angry Uncles'.

Congress President and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Sunday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent interaction at Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), Delhi University.

'Political Campaign to Evade Accountability'

Kharge, in a post on X, alleged that the event, instead of focusing on key concerns like education, jobs and youth welfare, turned into a political campaign and accused PM Modi of using political labels to evade accountability, saying that assigning derogatory adjectives to the opposition has become a routine tactic to stifle critical questions and divert attention from governance failures.

Kharge said, "@narendramodi Yesterday, you visited SRCC at Delhi University. It was an opportunity for dialogue on the country's youth, education, and their future. But alas, instead of facing the youth's questions, the speech turned into yet another political campaign."

The Congress chief accused PM Modi of attempting to suppress questions in a democracy by coining "new adjectives" for the Opposition to hide his own failures.

Kharge said that while adjectives keep changing, the anti-people policies of the Modi government remain the same. "Modi ji's Modus Operandi — In democracy, to suppress questions, giving the opposition a new Adjective every year.. so that their own failures remain hidden! Naraz foofa, dimaagi Naxal, Urban Naxal Khan Market Gang, Andolanjeevi, Parjeevi (Parasite). Adjectives keep changing, but the Modi government's anti-people policies do not change," he added.

Kharge claimed that the youth's report card includes rising unemployment, long-pending government recruitments, paper leaks, costly education, shrinking scholarship opportunities and increasing pressure on university autonomy. "Modi ji, Outreach is only needed when you become Out of Reach. The Prime Minister ji showed his 'Report Card.' The country's youth is also standing up with its Report Card. This Report Card includes - unemployment, government recruitments stuck for years, students troubled by paper leaks, increasingly expensive education, dwindling scholarship opportunities, and growing pressure on the autonomy of universities. Listen to #ChhatronKiGoonj, solutions won't come from beating around the bush!!," Kharge stated.

.@narendramodi जी कल दिल्ली विश्वविद्यालय के SRCC में गए। यह देश के युवाओं, शिक्षा और उनके भविष्य पर संवाद का अवसर था। लेकिन अफसोस, युवाओं के सवालों का सामना करने के बजाय भाषण फिर एक राजनीतिक प्रचार में बदल गया। मोदी जी की Modus Operandi — लोकतंत्र में सवालों को दबाने के लिए… — Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) September 6, 2026

PM Modi's 'Angry Uncles' Jibe

The reaction came after PM Modi, while addressing the centenary celebrations of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) on Saturday, took a dig at critics of the government's initiatives and described them as "Angry Uncles" who oppose every new project.

Addressing students at SRCC, PM Modi said, "Outside this campus, you will find a new world. You will meet two types of people. One type is those who positively transform the power of society into the power of the nation."

"The second species is of those people who become an 'Angry Uncle' whenever any work starts. Their favourite job is to oppose every work. They have only one dialogue: 'What is the need for this?'" he added.

PM Modi cited examples of projects including the Statue of Unity, high-speed trains, UPI, semiconductor manufacturing and the new Parliament building, saying Opposition questioned the need for each initiative. "When we were building the world's tallest statue, the 'Phoofas' braced themselves and said, 'What is the need for this?' We started work on high-speed trains, the 'Phoofas' spoke up again: 'What is the need for this?'" he said.

Talking about UPI, PM Modi said, "We brought UPI, and these same 'Phoofas' would say: 'Why UPI? What is the need for UPI?'"

He further said, "But India has replied to all such 'Phoofas'. No one can stop India from doing what is necessary for the country."

The Prime Minister participated in the centenary celebrations of SRCC on Teachers' Day and highlighted India's development journey while targeting Opposition parties over their criticism of government initiatives. (ANI)

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