Mallikarjun Kharge Calls PM Modi A 'Terrorist' In Tamil Nadu Rally, Then Clarifies

Chennai:  Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday made a major statement regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which has sparked a major controversy in political circles. During the last day of the election campaign in Tamil Nadu, the leader called PM Modi a "terrorist who does not believe in equality." 

What did Mallikarjun Kharge say about PM Modi?

During the election campaign, Mallikarjun Kharge while criticizing the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) for forming an alliance with the BJP also called PM Modi a "terrorist who does not believe in equality."

While talking about the opposition unity during the defeat of the Delimitation Bill in Lok Sabha, Kharge said that, "I also thank the Tamil Nadu people who have given MPs to us, that's why we were able to fight and defeat the bill. This is the land of scientific thinking and ideals of Periyar, Dr. Ambedkar, Annadurai, great Kamaraj and Karunanidhi. These people stood for this women's reservation, justice, equality, and fraternity."

Addressing reporters in Chennai, Kharge questioned the AIADMK's decision to join hands with the Prime Minister labelled PM Modi as "terrorist", saying that, "Modi is not for these principles and one more thing I want to tell how this AIADMK people who themselves put the photo of Annadurai, how can they join with Modi who is a terrorist and who won't believe in equality, his party won't believe in equality and justice and these people are joining with them, it means that they are weakening democracy, they are weakening the philosophy of Annadurai, Kamaraj, Periyar and Karunanidhi and Babasaheb Ambedkar. The Congress-DMK alliance will continue to deliver welfare, inclusive growth, quality education and accessible healthcare," he said.

Did Kharge clarify his statement?

Later, Kharge quickly clarified his statement and claimed that he meant to say that PM Modi was terrorizing his political opponents. 

"He (PM Modi) is terrorising people and political parties. I never said he is a terrorist... What I mean, I want to clarify, is that Modi always threatens. The institutions like ED, I-T and CBI are in his hands. He wants to take delimitation also into his hands," Kharge said.

Kharge was campaigning in Chennai for the DMK-led alliance, which also includes the Congress. 

His scathing attack on the AIADMK-BJP alliance came on the last day of campaigning for the Tamil Nadu elections, which are scheduled to take place on April 23. He bluntly stated that by joining forces with a party like the BJP, the AIADMK was "undermining democracy and the ideas of Annadurai, Kamaraj, Periyar... and Babasaheb Ambedkar."

What did the BJP say?

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly condemned Kharge's statement. 

In yet another crass display, Congress Presented Mallikarjun Kharge calls Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “terrorist,” questioning how AIADMK can align with him.

This isn’t the first time Kharge has dragged public discourse to such lows. But with this remark, he hasn’t just… pic.twitter.com/4abaYWYHOq

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 21, 2026

BJP national IT chief said that, "In yet another crass display, Congress Presented Mallikarjun Kharge calls Prime Minister Narendra Modi a 'terrorist', questioning how AIADMK can align with him."