'Can't Tolerate Insult...': PM Modi Hits Back At Congress On Bharat Ratna For Bhupen Hazarika Remark

Last Updated:September 14, 2025, 13:47 IST

PM Narendra Modi said as a devotee of Shiva, he can swallow all insults against him but cannot tolerate it when someone else is on the receiving end

PM Narendra Modi addresses a gathering during laying of foundation stone and inauguration of developmental works, in Assam's Darrang on September 14. (Image: @NarendraModi/PTI)

Paying a tribute to legendary singer Bhupen Hazarika during his birth centenary celebrations in Assam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he is pained by the alleged insult of the Bharat Ratna recipient by the Congress.

Modi said as a devotee of Shiva, he can swallow all insults against him but cannot tolerate it when someone else is on the receiving end. In 2019, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge had reportedly slammed the Naredra Modi-led government at the Centre for conferring the Bharat Ratna to a ‘singer’ instead of spiritual leader Shivakumara Swami.

“No matter how much abuse they hurl at me, I am a devotee of Lord Shiva; I absorb all that. But when someone else is insulted, I cannot tolerate it," Modi said while addressing a gathering in Darrang. “The Government of India awarded the Bharat Ratna to Bhupendra da ji, the pride of Assam and a true son of the nation. The Congress president said Modi is giving the Bharat Ratna to people known for dancing and singing."

Modi said music and art lovers in India should ask the Congress why they insulted Hazarika. He said it is one of the “double-engine" BJP government’s foremost priorities to respect and preserve the cultural heritage of Assam, along with its rapid development.

News politics 'Can't Tolerate Insult...': PM Modi Hits Back At Congress On Bharat Ratna For Bhupen Hazarika Remark

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