'Start With Rahul Gandhi': BJP Hits Back At Kharge Over 'Rotten Mangoes' Remark

Mallikarjun Kharge warned Congress leaders in Gujarat to remove non-performers, comparing them to "bad mangoes." The BJP used the opportunity to take a dig at Rahul Gandhi.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

Source : PTI

The BJP has slammed the Congress over Mallikarjun Kharge's 'bad mangoes' remark. Reacting to the comment, BJP Spokesperson RP Singh said, "He is right. They have some 'bad mangoes', and they should start with Rahul Gandhi..."

He said the Congress has lost a majority of elections under Rahul Gandhi. "After every election campaign, he goes abroad. So, it is clear that Kharge is hinting at Rahul Gandhi [with his 'bad mangoes' comment].

Delhi: BJP Spokesperson RP Singh, reacting to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s 'rotten mangoes' remark, says, "He is saying right. They have some 'bad mangoes', and they should start with Rahul Gandhi..." pic.twitter.com/MS1ldBTgqr

— IANS (@ians_india) September 11, 2025

BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "Sometimes Mallikarjun Kharge also speaks the truth. He says that the non-performing and compromised Congress leaders are like rotten mangoes and will ruin the whole basket. So, who was he pointing towards? Who is this rotten mango that is spoiling the basket?"

Taking a dig at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Poonawalla said: "After losing 99 elections, the person who refuses to accept his defeat... Earlier, too, Rahul Gandhi had said that Congress doesn’t have workers, they are horses: racehorses, wedding procession horses, and lame horses. But a racehorse does not lose the race 99 times..."

Delhi: Reacting to Mallikarjun Kharge’s “rotten mango” remark in the meeting, BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla says, "Sometimes Mallikarjun Kharge also speaks the truth. He says that the non-performing and compromised Congress leaders are like rotten mangoes and will… pic.twitter.com/S9LdFERssn

— IANS (@ians_india) September 11, 2025

What Did Mallikarjun Kharge Say?

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge delivered a blunt message to party leaders in Gujarat: act fast to weed out non-performers or risk further decline.

Speaking at the District Congress Presidents' training camp in Junagadh on Wednesday, Kharge urged leaders to focus on strengthening the organisation at the grassroots and booth levels. He stressed the need for discipline, commitment to ideology, and the ability to adapt to the times, saying these qualities were essential to safeguard democracy in the country.

Kharge's remarks were triggered by an internal review report, which found that 19 of the 41 city and district units in Gujarat were falling short on performance. Without mincing words, he compared such leaders to “bad mangoes” that must be “removed immediately before the entire box is rotten.”

According to senior leaders quoted by The Indian Express, the report was prepared using data from the past three months, tracking programmes organised under the directives of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC).

Congress leader Rajesh Thakur said, "Mallikarjun Kharge is one of the leaders who speaks clearly and firmly. He has stated that those who do not align with party policies and principles, compromise, or harm the party need to be identified and shown their place."

Ranchi, Jharkhand: Congress leader Rajesh Thakur, reacting to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s 'rotten mangoes' remark, says, "Mallikarjun Kharge is one of the leaders who speaks clearly and firmly. He has stated that those who do not align with party policies and… pic.twitter.com/C7T9RZBrij

— IANS (@ians_india) September 11, 2025