BJP Accuses Rahul Gandhi of Insulting Women Over Indore Stage Act

The Bharatiya Janata Party launched a sharp attack on Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Sunday over his remarks and gestures aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a student interaction in Indore, accusing him of insulting women and debasing public discourse.

At the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' event held on Saturday, Gandhi appeared alongside stand-up comic Pulkit Mani. The two shared lines and gestures that were widely read as mimicking the prime minister. Gandhi, while criticising the government's diplomatic approach, also imitated Modi's voice, saying that in the role of prime minister one does not merely visit a friend's house and that the job is to protect the country.

BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan, in a video statement on Sunday morning, said Gandhi had insulted women by mocking a frail mother. He described the stage antics as foul-mouthed and third-rate, and said no decent person would have found them amusing, yet Gandhi was seen laughing aloud alongside the performer. Kesavan argued that such uncouth culture endorsed by Gandhi explained why he and the Congress had failed to connect with the youth.

He pointed to the Delhi University Students' Union elections, where the ABVP, the student wing of the BJP's ideological mentor the RSS, won a majority of posts, and said the Congress and its student wing NSUI had been chased away from Delhi University. He also claimed that even Congress leader Shashi Tharoor had admitted the party's failure on this front. Kesavan contrasted the episode with what he called a thoughtful gesture by Prime Minister Modi in ensuring a chair for an elderly person, saying Gandhi instead revelled while elders were disrespected.

Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi said in a post on X that Gandhi and the Congress had stooped to an absolute nadir of moral bankruptcy, and that weaponising a student interaction to mock the late mother of the prime minister revealed a shocking lack of basic human empathy and political culture.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said Gandhi's language was deteriorating from bad to worse, calling the remarks a stain on the dignity of Indian politics. He said such language did not represent India, that people were closely observing the words, values and mindset of political leaders, and that the Congress had been repeatedly rejected by voters. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also criticised the Congress, saying it had become a party of comedians and jokers.