New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday after his remarks that the Opposition is fighting not only the BJP but also the Indian State.
Gandhi made these comments during the inauguration of the Congress’s new headquarters in Delhi, where he also launched a scathing attack on the BJP and its ideological affiliate, the RSS.
Union Health Minister and BJP President JP Nadda responded by accusing Gandhi of exposing the “ugly truth” about his stance, emphasizing that the Congress leader’s statement reflected a deepening rift with democratic institutions. In a post on X, Nadda claimed that Gandhi and his supporters had close ties to “Urban Naxals” and the “Deep State”—groups he alleged were working to defame and undermine India.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also questioned Gandhi’s stance, pointing out the irony of him carrying a copy of the Constitution while claiming to be at war with the Indian State. “Why does he carry the Constitution if he believes the Opposition is fighting the State?” she asked, suggesting a contradiction in his rhetoric.
During his speech, Gandhi asserted that the BJP and RSS had “captured every single institution” in the country, framing the Opposition’s struggle as a fight not just against the ruling political party but against the Indian State itself. He further criticized RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s statement that India achieved “true independence” only after the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, calling it “treason.” Gandhi remarked that if Bhagwat were in another country, he would be arrested and tried for such remarks.
The BJP’s condemnation of Gandhi’s comments has sparked a fresh political debate, with party leaders accusing him of undermining national institutions and questioning his commitment to the Constitution.
