Kalaburagi: AICC President and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, has come under heavy criticism after a shocking incident in Kalaburagi where he angrily scolded a young farmer who had come forward to share his plight about crop loss. The senior Congress leader’s remarks, asking the farmer to “go and ask Modi and Amit Shah for Togari,” have triggered widespread condemnation, with the BJP branding his behavior as arrogant, insensitive, and unbecoming of a veteran politician.
On September 7, Kharge was in Kalaburagi addressing a meeting with party workers. During the interaction, a distressed young farmer approached him and explained that torrential rains had destroyed the Togari ( tur dal ) crop on four acres of land. Seeking empathy, he said, “Sir, the Togari I grew on four acres has been damaged.”
Instead of listening patiently, Kharge reportedly responded with anger and sarcasm. “How much area is damaged? Four acres? Mine is forty acres. Not only Togari, but also name, uddu, cotton, and sunflower have been damaged. Don’t come here just for publicity. Go and ask Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah for Togari,” Kharge shot back, raising eyebrows among party workers and locals alike.
His dismissive reaction was captured on video and quickly went viral on social media, sparking widespread outrage across the state.
Farmers, political observers, and opponents alike have condemned Kharge’s words, calling them a disgraceful show of impatience and arrogance towards the very community Congress claims to champion. The distressed farmer, instead of receiving compassion or at least assurance, was publicly belittled by one of the most senior leaders of the party.
BJP state president BY Vijayendra launched a sharp attack, stating that Kharge’s conduct exposed the Congress’s hollow concern for farmers. “A young farmer, distraught over his crop loss, came seeking compassion. Instead, Kharge shouted him down. This is arrogance of the highest order. A man who claims to be the voice of the poor has insulted the very backbone of India – its farmers,” he said.
ಬೆಳೆ ಹಾನಿಯಿಂದ ಕಂಗೆಟ್ಟು ಹೋದ ಯುವ ರೈತನೊಬ್ಬ ತಮ್ಮ ಬಳಿ ನೋವು ತೋಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಬಂದಾಗ ‘ತೊಗರಿ ಬೇಳೆ ಹಾನಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದನ್ನು ನನ್ನಬಳಿ ತೋರಿಸಲು ಬಂದಿದ್ದೀಯಾ? 'ಎಂದು ರಾಜ್ಯಸಭೆಯ ಪ್ರತಿಪಕ್ಷ ನಾಯಕರೂ ಆದ ಎಐಸಿಸಿ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷ @kharge ಅವರು ಏರು ಧ್ವನಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಗದರಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ
"ಆರು ಹಡೆದವಳ ಮುಂದೆ ಹೇಳ್ತೀಯಾ….."ಎಂಬ ಗಾದೆ ಮಾತು ಹೇಳಿ ಪ್ರಧಾನಿ… pic.twitter.com/H7j6RC1NTG— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) September 8, 2025
“Ego has diminished his dignity”
Vijayendra further questioned how Kharge, who often criticizes Prime Minister Narendra Modi by claiming that “ego is a thorn in his heart,” should explain his own display of ego before a helpless farmer. “Yesterday’s incident shows that it is Kharge who carries the thorn of arrogance. His words have diminished the dignity of his seniority and long political experience. This was not the behavior of a statesman, but of an intolerant leader unable to face the concerns of ordinary people,” he remarked.
The BJP leader pointed out that Kharge’s reaction not only insulted the farmer personally but also reflected Congress’s larger attitude toward rural India. “After independence, Congress has never truly worked to lift farmers out of misery. They have only shed crocodile tears, pretending to care while doing nothing meaningful. Yesterday’s arrogance is living proof of that legacy,” Vijayendra added.
The political fallout of Kharge’s outburst has been immediate. Farmers’ groups in Kalaburagi have expressed disappointment, saying they expected empathy, not ridicule, from a leader of Kharge’s stature. Social media is flooded with criticism, with many users calling the incident a “mask-off moment” for the Congress.
For the BJP, the episode has provided fresh ammunition against the Congress ahead of upcoming electoral battles. By highlighting Kharge’s insensitivity, the saffron party is drawing a sharp contrast between Prime Minister Modi’s pro-farmer schemes and Congress’s alleged neglect.
A pattern of disconnect?
Observers note that this is not the first time Congress leaders have been accused of being dismissive towards farmers. The party, despite claiming to stand for agrarian interests, has often been accused of using farmers’ issues as political rhetoric rather than engaging with their real problems. Kharge’s recent outburst, they argue, only reinforces the perception that Congress leadership is disconnected from ground realities.
The fact that Kharge chose to invoke Modi and Amit Shah instead of promising state-level action further exposed the Congress leadership’s lack of accountability, critics said. Rather than assuring relief or promising to take up the issue with concerned authorities, Kharge sought to deflect the grievance to the Centre, signaling a lack of seriousness in addressing farmers’ woes.
Concluding his remarks, Vijayendra reiterated that the BJP will stand firmly with the farmers and not allow such arrogance to go unchallenged. “Kharge’s words have hurt not just one farmer but the farming community across Karnataka. BJP condemns his anti-farmer attitude in the strongest terms. Farmers deserve respect, compassion, and solutions – not ridicule from the so-called tallest leader of the Congress,” he said.
