PATNA: A fresh political row erupted on Wednesday after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remarks during a joint rally with RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav in Bihar triggered sharp reactions from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Party leaders accused Gandhi of insulting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bihar’s voters, and the Chhath festival, a deeply revered cultural and religious celebration in the state.
BJP calls Rahul Gandhi’s comments “insulting and arrogant”
Addressing reporters, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari lashed out at the Congress leader, alleging that Gandhi “speaks like a local goon” and has “mocked the poor of Bihar who voted for Prime Minister Modi.”
“Rahul Gandhi has openly insulted every poor person of India and Bihar who voted for PM Modi. He has mocked voters and Indian democracy,” Bhandari said in a post on X.
The remarks came after Gandhi, during his Muzaffarpur rally, took a jibe at the prime minister, saying, “He would be ready to dance on stage if he sensed that it would fetch votes.”
BJP leaders accuse Gandhi of mocking Chhath Puja
BJP’s IT cell head Amit Malviya condemned Gandhi’s statement, accusing him of insulting Chhathi Maiya and the faith of crores of devotees.
“Through his words, Rahul Gandhi has deliberately struck at local festivals, the devotion of crores of people, and the faith of those observing Chhath vows,” Malviya said.
He contrasted Gandhi’s remarks with what he described as the Modi government’s efforts to promote the festival. “Under the BJP government in Delhi, Chhath Puja is organised with grandeur and divinity. Earlier, devotees had to perform the puja amid poisonous foam in the Yamuna, but now proper ghats have been arranged,” he added.
Malviya also claimed that Gandhi was “against Sanatan Dharma, against folk festivals, and against Bihar,” demanding that he issue a public apology before leaving the state.
Giriraj Singh, Jitan Ram Manjhi join the attack
Union Minister Giriraj Singh also criticised Gandhi, calling his comments on Chhath “an insult to Sanatan and Hindus.”
“Rahul Gandhi does not even know who he is — whether he is a Parsi, a Hindu, or a Christian. The people of Bihar will give him a befitting reply,” Singh said.
Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi echoed similar sentiments, though he downplayed the controversy, saying Gandhi’s comments “should not be taken seriously.”
Rahul Gandhi’s counterattack on BJP
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi continued his sharp criticism of the ruling party, accusing the BJP of running the Bihar government through remote control.
“I agree with Tejashwi Yadav that the government in Bihar is being run through remote control. They are simply using the face of Nitish Kumar,” Gandhi said during the Muzaffarpur rally.
He also attacked the Centre for resisting a caste census and claimed that it was only after opposition pressure that the government relented.
“The BJP is against social justice. They divide people and serve a handful of billionaires while neglecting the poor,” he said.
Gandhi further alleged that the Modi government had allowed monopolies in the telecom sector and ignored the economic distress caused by demonetisation.
Political reactions ahead of Bihar polls
The controversy comes just as Bihar gears up for Assembly elections, and both the BJP and the Congress-RJD alliance have intensified their campaigns.
While the BJP accuses Gandhi of demeaning Bihar’s traditions and its voters, the opposition has turned its focus on unemployment, migration, and economic stagnation in the state.
Political observers say the sharp exchanges underscore how both camps are rallying their core bases ahead of what is expected to be a tightly contested election.