BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad addressing a press conference in BJP headquarters on January 16, 2025. Photo: X/@BJP4India
Criticising the “fighting the Indian state” remark made by Rahul Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday (January 16, 2025) accused him of being “in the complete grip of Urban Naxals’ thinking process”.
At a press conference, former Union Minister and BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said there was a need to change Mr. Gandhi’s “tutor”. “You are the Leader of Opposition in Parliament. Do you genuinely understand the meaning of ‘Indian state’?,” he asked.
Mr. Prasad said the “Indian state” represented the Constitutional identity of India as a free country. “It encompasses the President, Vice-President, Parliament, Leader of Opposition, State Assemblies… Supreme Court/High Courts, journalists…,” Mr. Prasad said, wondering if seasoned Congress leaders had stopped advising Mr. Gandhi.
The BJP leader also took exception to the Congress leader’s charges against Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat, stating that Sangh was a nationalist organisation that contributed immensely to society and spread patriotism.
Mr. Prasad accused the Congress of working in sync with Hindenburg, which was now closing its “shop”, on the agenda of destabilising India. He said with the President-elect Donald Trump taking over on January 20, the “shop” of “anti-India” George Soros would also weaken.
On Wednesday (January 15, 2025), in response to Mr. Gandhi’s comments, BJP president J.P. Nadda had said, “Hidden no more, Congress’ ugly truth now stands exposed by their own leader. I ‘compliment’ Mr. Rahul Gandhi for saying clearly what the nation knows – that he is fighting the Indian state!”
Mr. Nadda said, “Congress has a history of encouraging all those forces who want a weak India. Their greed for power meant compromising the nation’s integrity and betraying the trust of the people. But, the people of India are wise. They have decided that they will always reject Mr. Rahul Gandhi and his rotten ideology.”
BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said at a press conference, “Truly, it is our misfortune that we have a part time and irresponsible and immature Leader of Opposition in Rahul Gandhi who also happens to be guided by forces like George Soros, forces that are inimical to the integrity of our country.”
Published – January 16, 2025 09:18 pm IST
