Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches Bihar Rajya Jeevika Nidhi Saakh Sahkari Sangh Limited via video conferencing on September 02, 2025.
Modi’s Mother Insult Ignites Bihar Election Fire
New Delhi: In election-bound Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi seized on a personal affront to galvanise voters, condemning alleged abuses against his late mother, Heeraben Modi, at a Congress-Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) rally in Darbhanga on August 28, 2025, as an insult to all women.
Speaking via video conferencing at the launch of the Bihar Rajya Jeevika Nidhi Saakh Sahkari Sangh Limited today, Modi framed the incident as a cultural and political betrayal, urging Bihar’s women to demand accountability from the opposition. The emotionally charged address, blending personal pain with electoral strategy, risks escalating tensions in a state already polarised ahead of the October-November 2025 assembly elections.
The controversy erupted after a viral video surfaced, allegedly showing a man, identified as Mohammad Rizvi alias Raza, hurling expletives, including the Hindi slur “Maderch*od,” at Modi and his late mother from a stage during the Congress-RJD’s ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Darbhanga. The stage displayed posters of Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, alongside RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, though the leaders were not present during the incident, having left for Muzaffarpur. Bihar Police arrested Rizvi on August 29, and he was sent to judicial custody for 14 days following a complaint by BJP’s Darbhanga district president Aditya Narayan Choudhary.
Modi, visibly emotional, addressed millions of women across Bihar, saying, “Mother is our world. Mother is our self-respect. I had not even imagined what happened a few days ago in this tradition-rich Bihar. My mother was abused from the stage of RJD-Congress in Bihar… These abuses are not just an insult to my mother. These are insults to the mothers, sisters, and daughters of the country.” He emphasised his mother’s lack of political involvement: “My mother, who had no connection to politics and is no longer in this world, was insulted… Sisters and mothers, I can see your faces; I can feel the pain you must have felt. I can even see tears in some of your eyes.”
The Prime Minister invoked Bihar’s cultural reverence for maternal figures, citing deities like Ganga Maiya and traditions like Satbahini Puja, and quoted a local verse: “Apne Sukhal Pakal Khake, Rakhli Sabke Bharam Bachake, Unkan Roya Jo Dukhai, Ta Bhalai Na Hoi” (A mother eats simple food, preserves trust, her tears bring no good; no one is dearer than a mother). He urged women to confront the opposition: “In every street and neighbourhood, only one voice should be heard — ‘We won’t tolerate insult to a mother, we will not tolerate RJD’s tyranny and Congress’s attacks.’” Modi added, “I may forgive RJD-Congress, but the people of Bihar will never pardon them for insulting my mother.”
The Opposition has distanced itself from the incident. Congress leader Pawan Khera claimed the abuser was a BJP “agent” planted to disrupt the Yatra, stating, “They are frustrated over our Yatra. They want to divert attention.” RJD’s Mrityunjay Tiwari criticised Modi for “using his mother as a shield” to fan emotions for votes, noting that neither Gandhi nor Yadav was on stage during the incident.
Modi linked the abuse to a broader anti-woman mindset, alleging, “People who hurl abuses at mothers have the mindset that women are weak. This mindset treats women as objects of exploitation and oppression.” He accused the RJD of fostering a “mafia raj” during its rule, when “murder, extortion, and rape were commonplace,” and claimed women bore the brunt, living in fear of violence and loss. “Bihar’s women ousted RJD from power, and now they seek revenge,” he said, pointing to their opposition to women’s reservation as evidence of their stance.
The BJP has capitalised on the incident, with senior leader Ravi Shankar Prasad calling the remarks “shameful” and an insult to Indian values. The NDA announced a five-hour Bihar bandh on September 4, 2025, from 7 AM to 12 PM to protest the remarks, exempting emergency services. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar condemned the incident, stating, “The use of highly inappropriate language against the Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and his late mother from the Congress and RJD platform is utterly deplorable.”
Modi’s speech also served as the platform for launching the Bihar Rajya Jeevika Nidhi Saakh Sahkari Sangh Limited, a cooperative to provide low-interest loans to women in Jeevika self-help groups (SHGs). The initiative, backed by ₹105 crore from central and state governments, aims to reduce reliance on microfinance institutions charging 18–24% interest. Operating digitally, it enables direct fund transfers via mobile phones, supported by 12,000 community cadres equipped with tablets. Modi stated, “This will make it easier for sisters to access funds and advance their businesses,” aligning it with schemes like Lakhpati Didi and Drone Didi to benefit 20 lakh women. Challenges include ensuring digital literacy and infrastructure in rural Bihar.
The launch underscores the NDA’s focus on women’s empowerment, with Modi highlighting schemes like Har Ghar Jal, Ayushman Bharat, and PM Awas Yojana, which prioritise women’s home ownership. He pushed for “Har Ghar Swadeshi” to promote self-reliance, urging shopkeepers to display “Proudly Swadeshi” boards. However, the focus on the Darbhanga incident, amplified by the bandh call, suggests an electoral strategy to mobilise women voters by framing the opposition as disrespectful to Bihar’s cultural values.
The incident’s political fallout is significant in Bihar, where elections loom. While Modi’s emotional appeal may resonate with voters, particularly women, it risks deepening polarisation. The opposition’s denial and counter-accusations of BJP orchestration could further muddy the narrative, with Jeevika Nidhi’s economic promise potentially overshadowed by the controversy.
– global bihari bureau
