A sharp political confrontation has erupted after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of misrepresenting his early life to win votes, questioning the long-repeated claim that the prime minister once worked as a tea seller.Addressing a public gathering organised to protest the government’s decision to replace the UPA-era Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act with the G Ram G Act, Kharge said Modi’s invocation of being a “chaiwala” amounted to political theatre rather than lived experience. “To get votes, he keeps saying, ‘I am a tea seller’. Has he ever made tea? Has he ever gone around with a kettle to serve tea to people? This is all just a naatak,” Kharge told the crowd, adding that the prime minister’s politics, in his view, “oppress the poor”.
The remarks cut to the core of one of Modi’s most recognisable personal narratives. Since his first national campaign, the prime minister has framed his rise as that of a self-made leader from modest means, often recalling childhood years helping his family at a tea stall in Vadnagar, Gujarat. Supporters have credited the story with broadening his appeal among lower-income voters and reinforcing the Bharatiya Janata Party’s messaging on aspiration and social mobility.
Congress leaders argue that the story has been weaponised for electoral gain and masks policy choices that have weakened welfare protections. Kharge’s comments were delivered against the backdrop of opposition protests over changes to the rural jobs guarantee framework, a flagship social security programme introduced during the United Progressive Alliance government. Critics contend that the replacement legislation narrows eligibility and reduces the statutory guarantees that had underpinned rural employment for nearly two decades.
The prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to Kharge’s remarks, though senior figures in the ruling party dismissed the attack as a personal jibe designed to deflect attention from what they describe as the opposition’s lack of a coherent policy platform. BJP leaders have repeatedly maintained that Modi’s background is a matter of public record, citing school documents, local testimonies from Vadnagar, and the prime minister’s own accounts in speeches and interviews over the years.
Political analysts say the dispute reflects a broader shift in campaign rhetoric as parties sharpen contrasts ahead of upcoming electoral contests. Personal narratives have become central to political branding, often eclipsing granular policy debate. By challenging the authenticity of Modi’s origins story, Congress appears to be seeking to puncture an image that has helped the prime minister connect emotionally with voters across social strata.
The exchange also underscores the intensity surrounding welfare policy. The rural employment guarantee scheme has long been a lightning rod in national politics, praised by supporters for providing a safety net during economic stress and criticised by opponents for fiscal strain and alleged inefficiencies. Opposition parties have accused the government of diluting a rights-based entitlement without adequate consultation, while ministers argue that the new framework improves targeting and accountability.
Kharge linked the personal critique directly to this policy argument, suggesting that invoking humble origins sits uneasily with reforms he says disadvantage rural workers. Boldly framing his charge as a challenge to a crafted persona, he sought to position Congress as the defender of the poor against what it characterises as symbolic politics.