Kangana Ranaut’s Instagram criticism of Congress over PM Modi’s mother: What Rahul Gandhi said—and did not say

BJP MP Kangana Ranaut criticised Congress on Instagram in September 2025 after its Bihar unit posted an AI-generated video depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s late mother, Heeraben Modi. She also called for opposition leader Rahul Gandhi to resign over a separate incident involving abusive language at a Bihar campaign event. Reports of those incidents do not establish that Gandhi himself made the remarks about Modi’s mother.

What did Kangana Ranaut post on Instagram?

On September 12, 2025, Ranaut used an Instagram Story to condemn the Bihar Congress video. It portrayed Modi dreaming about his mother, who appeared to criticise his politics. Ranaut argued that using AI to depict a deceased person in a political message was insensitive and called for judicial action. Her criticism was directed at Congress for publishing the video, rather than at a statement by Gandhi in it.

The Bihar Congress account had shared the video on September 10. Because the exchange was AI-generated, the words attributed to the depiction of Heeraben Modi were not her own. The distinction matters: the controversy concerned a party’s use of a deceased person’s likeness in campaign material, not an authentic recording of Modi and his mother.

Why did Ranaut call for Rahul Gandhi’s resignation?

Earlier, on September 3, Ranaut called for Gandhi to resign after abusive language directed at Modi and his late mother was heard at an event associated with the opposition’s Voter Adhikar Yatra in Darbhanga, Bihar. She said an apology would not be enough and accused the opposition of disrespecting women.

That episode was separate from the AI video posted a week later. The reported abuse came from a person at the event; it should not be described as a remark made by Gandhi. His leadership of the campaign became the basis for Ranaut’s demand that he take responsibility, but it does not make him the speaker.

Modi publicly condemned the Darbhanga incident on September 2, asking why his mother, who died in December 2022 and had no role in politics, had been targeted. Congress leader Pawan Khera said no Congress leader or worker would insult anyone’s mother. The opposing reactions helped turn the incident into a wider argument about responsibility for language used at political events.

What happened to the Bihar Congress AI video?

On September 17, 2025, the Patna High Court directed that the video not be circulated while the matter was before it. The court also issued notices to parties involved in the case, including Rahul Gandhi. The order addressed circulation of the video; it should not be read as a finding that Gandhi created it or personally made abusive remarks.

Ranaut’s Instagram Story and her call for Gandhi’s resignation are often discussed together because both concerned references to Modi’s mother. They arose from two distinct events: abusive language at a Darbhanga campaign event and a later AI-generated post by the Bihar Congress unit. Keeping them separate makes clear what Ranaut objected to—and avoids attributing another person’s words to Gandhi.