New Delhi: A fresh political row has erupted between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's participation in a 'Bhajan Clubbing' event in the national capital on Friday evening. The controversy began after Karnataka Minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge targeted the Prime Minister over his attendance at the gathering, prompting a sharp response from the ruling party, which accused the Congress of disrespecting Indian heritage.

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Priyank Kharge Targets PM Modi

Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Kharge said that while the Prime Minister has time for Bhajan clubbing, he remains silent on questions surrounding the Election Commission.

"PM @narendramodi has time for 'Bhajan Clubbing', but no time to answer serious questions about the clubbing of democracy through the Election Commission," Kharge wrote.

The Congress leader further alleged that the Prime Minister has consistently avoided direct public scrutiny for over a decade.

"For 13 years, there has been a familiar pattern: when difficult questions confront the government, the Prime Minister is conspicuously absent from answering them. Celebrations get his presence. Accountability gets his silence," Kharge added.

BJP Hits Back

Hitting out at the Karnataka minister, the BJP accused the Congress leader of mocking and insulting India's heritage of "bhajan" and "bhakti".

Replying to Kharge on X, BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan stated, "Congress once again mocks and insults Bharat's remarkable civilisational heritage of Bhajan and Bhakti. What better can you expect of Junior Kharge, who is only conversant with singing praises of the self-serving Congress first family."

The BJP spokesperson challenged Kharge to instead question his own party's leadership regarding its series of electoral setbacks, asking, "Does Junior Kharge have even an iota of courage to talk about clubbing accountability of Rahul Gandhi with Congress party's dismal electoral failures, because under Rahul Gandhi's dismal leadership, the Congress party has lost 3 consecutive Lok Sabha elections and suffered nearly 100 Assembly drubbings?"

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PM Modi's Participation In 'Bhajan Clubbing'

The political row comes after PM Modi participated in "Bhajan clubbing," a modern trend where young people gather in concert-style settings to sing, clap, and dance to Hindu devotional music. The event took place at a park opposite the BJP headquarters to commemorate the 110th birth anniversary of Sangh Parivar ideologue Deendayal Upadhyay.

Seated in the front row among young attendees, Prime Minister Modi was seen clapping and playing a tambourine-like instrument during a bhajan dedicated to Lord Ram.