In response to a vehement critique by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi during his first speech as Leader of the Opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) mobilized top leaders, including Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw, Kiren Rijiju, and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi, to deliver a point-by-point rebuttal. The BJP leaders accused Gandhi of belittling his post and making an “extremely irresponsible speech” that they claimed insulted Hindus and spread falsehoods.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw initiated the rebuttal, expressing that the nation was “distraught” by Gandhi’s statements. “Most concerning issue is Rahul Gandhi labeling Hindus ‘violent’. This is an old habit of the Congress. In 2010, (ex-Home Minister P Chidambaram called Hindus ‘terrorists’. In 2013 Sushilkumar Shinde said the same. In 2021, Rahul Gandhi said ‘Hindutvavadis’ should be expelled,” Vaishnaw condemned Gandhi for allegedly calling Hindus “violent,” which he deemed highly offensive. He also referenced Gandhi’s own past statements about Hindutvavadis. Vaishnaw further accused Gandhi of disrespecting the Constitutional position of the Speaker, recalling an incident where Gandhi tore up an ordinance issued by his own government.
“Rahul Gandhi (also) insulted the Constitutional position of Speaker. This is not the first time… remember when he tore up his own government’s ordinance,” he added.
“Calling entire Hindu society violent is a serious issue…” Vaishnaw said. He took the opportunity to criticize the Congress leader’s remarks about the Agniveer military recruitment scheme, which had been firmly rebutted in Parliament by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju took over the pushback, criticizing Gandhi for not thanking President Droupadi Murmu in his speech, which was meant to respond to her address at the start of the 18th Lok Sabha’s first session. Rijiju demanded that Gandhi substantiate his claims, including allegations about lack of compensation for Ayodhya residents affected by the Ram Temple construction. He also criticized Gandhi for failing to offer any solutions, which he said is the role of a constructive opposition.
“I condemn Rahul Gandhi ji for terming Hindus as (a) violent, hateful and untruthful community. He can’t insult Hindus without reason,” Rijiju asserted.
Sudhanshu Trivedi also joined the fray, accusing the Congress of consistently insulting Hindus.
BJP President JP Nadda also took a dig at Gandhi. He accused him of “blatantly lying” in Parliament. Nadda took to his social media handle on X and put out a series of posts where he criticized Gandhi’s speech as being full of “lies and Hindu hatred,” and claimed that Gandhi had not learned from his electoral defeats. “First day, worst show! Lies + Hindu hatred = Rahul Gandhi ji in Parliament. Third-time fail LoP has a knack for agitated, flawed logic. His speech today has shown that neither has he understood the mandate of 2024 (his third successive loss) nor does he have any humility,” Nadda wrote.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called Gandhi a hypocrite, saying his “mohabbat ki dukaan” (shop of love) claim was exposed by his remarks, which she argued were divisive. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy also criticized Gandhi’s speech as an “insult.”
