Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge launched a sharp critique Sunday, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of transforming what should have been a meaningful dialogue with students into a full-blown political campaign. The Prime Minister’s Saturday visit to Delhi University’s Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), Kharge argued, was squandered—an opportunity for genuine connection replaced by partisan rhetoric.

Key facts

  • PM Modi interacted with students at SRCC on Saturday, September 5, 2026
  • Kharge’s criticism came via a post on social media platform X on Sunday
  • He cited rising unemployment, paper leaks, and education costs as youth concerns

A Missed Dialogue

Kharge didn’t mince words. The event, he said, was meant to be a conversation with India’s youth about their future—education, opportunities, the road ahead. Instead, he alleged, Modi sidestepped their questions entirely. The Prime Minister’s avoidance felt pointed, a refusal to engage with the issues that weigh heaviest on students’ minds.

The Language of Diversion

Rather than substance, Kharge claimed, the Prime Minister leaned into political labeling. Terms like “Naraaz Phupha” (Angry Uncle), “Dimagi Naxal,” and “Khan Market Gang” peppered his address—phrases designed, in Kharge’s view, to shift focus from government performance. “The adjectives keep changing,” Kharge noted, “but the government’s anti-people policies do not change.” It was a line that resonated, capturing frustration with what he sees as a pattern of deflection.

“Outreach is only needed when you become out of reach,”

Kharge’s remark landed like a verdict—a succinct summary of his central argument. The need to reach out, he implied, stems from distance. And that distance, he suggested, is growing.

The Youth’s Report Card

While Modi presented a government “report card,” Kharge countered with one of his own—a list drawn, he said, from the realities facing young Indians. Unemployment, delays in government recruitment, paper leaks, soaring education costs, shrinking scholarships, and pressure on university autonomy. These, he insisted, are the metrics that matter. His call for Modi to engage with the Congress’s “Chhatron Ki Goonj” campaign felt like a challenge: listen to the voices you’re overlooking.