Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sparked a fiery debate as he accused BJP leaders of engaging in “violence and hate” under the guise of Hinduism, triggering strong reactions from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs.
Responding to the uproar, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, leaving the Parliament building with her mother Sonia Gandhi, defended her brother’s statement, clarifying that Rahul Gandhi’s criticism was directed at the BJP leadership, not Hindus in general. “He cannot insult Hindus. He said it very clearly. He talked about the BJP, he talked about BJP leaders,” Priyanka Gandhi asserted.
Rahul Gandhi’s speech, where he held up a picture of Lord Shiva and emphasized the values of fearlessness and non-violence, drew immediate objections from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demands for an apology from Home Minister Amit Shah.
Union minister Kiren Rijiju condemned Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on social media, stating, “I condemn Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji for terming Hindus as a violent, hateful and untruthful community. He can’t insult Hindus without any reasons.”
BJP leaders also criticized Rahul Gandhi’s comments harshly. G Kishan Reddy accused Gandhi of being in a state of depression and asserted that his speech targeted Hindus unfairly. “He said that Hindus are violent. The people of the country should understand this,” Reddy stated.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Tejashvi Surya called Rahul Gandhi’s remarks “shameful,” expressing disbelief at the level of animosity Gandhi displayed towards Hindus.
In defense of Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Rajeev Shukla clarified, “He said that the people of BJP, you call yourself Hindus but you do not follow Hinduism, we are all Hindus, we follow Hinduism. What Lord Shiva said, we follow it and you do not follow it, you do violence, you spread hatred, this is what he is saying to the people of the BJP.”
The controversy underscores the deep political divisions and sensitive religious sentiments in India’s parliamentary debates, highlighting the ongoing tension between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress party.