Standing with divisive forces is Rahul Gandhi's habit, says Amit Shah

Slamming Rahul Gandhi, Amit Shah said that he has consistently threatened the nation's security and hurt public sentiments

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a scathing attack on the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, following his controversial remarks made during a visit to the United States. Key leaders from the BJP, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, criticised Gandhi, particularly for his comments on reservation during an interaction with students at Georgetown University.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in a sharp rebuttal, accused Rahul Gandhi of habitually aligning with forces that aim to divide the country. Shah’s remarks were made in a post on X, where he criticised the Congress leader for making what he termed "anti-national" statements on foreign soil.

 

"Standing with forces that conspire to divide the country and making anti-national statements have become a habit for Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party. Whether it is supporting the JKNC's anti-national and anti-reservation agenda in Jammu and Kashmir or making anti-India statements on foreign platforms, Rahul Gandhi has always threatened the nation's security and hurt sentiments," Shah said.

Shah further accused the Congress of deliberately creating rifts in society, especially over regional, religious, and linguistic lines. He noted that Rahul Gandhi’s recent comments on reservations were a glaring example of the Congress’s long-standing opposition to caste-based quotas. “By speaking about abolishing reservations in the country, Rahul Gandhi has once again brought the Congress's anti-reservation face to the forefront. The thoughts that were in his mind eventually found their way out as words," Shah added.

In response to Gandhi’s statement that reservations could be scrapped when India becomes a "fair place," Shah assured the public that the BJP would firmly protect the existing reservation system. "I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that as long as the BJP is there, neither can anyone abolish reservations nor can anyone mess with the nation's security," the Home Minister said.

Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, which were made during a three-day visit to the US, have sparked widespread controversy, particularly in the lead-up to critical state elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. The BJP, facing a dip in its Lok Sabha performance, is leveraging Gandhi’s comments to portray the Congress as anti-reservation, a move aimed at consolidating voter support.

BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad also waded into the debate, stating that opposition to caste-based reservations has been a part of the Congress legacy, citing the stances of former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi. Prasad called upon other opposition leaders from the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, such as DMK's MK Stalin, RJD's Lalu Prasad Yadav, and Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, to clarify their positions on Gandhi's controversial remarks.

"I want to warn [people] that if the Congress tries to tamper with the provision of reservation in any way or scrap it, the BJP will vehemently oppose it," he said, calling for a united front against any such move.

Rahul Gandhi’s broader criticism of the BJP and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), during his US trip, has drawn sharp responses from the ruling party. His claim that the “fear of BJP” had vanished following the recent Lok Sabha elections was met with strong rebuke from the BJP. Gandhi suggested that the election results had emboldened the people of India to reject what he described as attacks on the Constitution.

Gandhi’s remarks were countered by BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia, who described him as an “immature and part-time leader.” Bhatia said, “People have put a huge responsibility on his [Rahul Gandhi's] shoulders since he became the Leader of Opposition. But I feel sad to say that Rahul Gandhi is a black spot in Indian democracy. He does not even know what to talk about when he visits a foreign country."