Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday responded to the BJP’s accusations of him feeding dog biscuits to his workers, expressing his confusion about the saffron party’s obsession with dogs and that he fails to understand the issue.
In an explanation about the incident, while addressing a gathering during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Jharkhand’s Khunti, Rahul said, “…I called the dog and the owner. The dog seemed nervous and shivering. When I tried to feed it, the dog got scared. So, I gave biscuits to the dog’s owner, and the dog ate them from his hand. I don’t understand what’s the issue with it,” as ANI reported.
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When questioned about the BJP’s claims that the man was a Congress worker, he responded, “No, where was he a Congress worker? I don’t understand the BJP’s obsession with dogs.”
Earlier, the BJP launched attacks on Gandhi, accusing him of giving biscuits meant for a dog to his supporters after the canine refused to eat it. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, formerly associated with the Congress, took a dig at Gandhi, asserting that neither he nor his family could make him “eat the biscuit.”
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Amit Malviya, another BJP leader, took to X and posted, “Just a few days ago, Congress President Kharge ji compared the party’s booth agents to dogs, and here Rahul Gandhi is feeding biscuits to a dog during his visit. When the dog did not eat, he gave the same biscuits to his worker.”
“If a party whose president and crown prince treat their party workers like dogs, then it is natural for such a party to disappear.”
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also criticised Rahul Gandhi over his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, claiming the alleged incident reflected the “elitist mindset” of the Gandhi family.
The issue stemmed from a video of Rahul Gandhi circulating on social media, where he was seen petting a puppy during the yatra in Jharkhand. In the footage, Gandhi requests a packet of biscuits and is observed giving one to the puppy.
Another video of the incident, which went viral, showed several supporters attempting to engage with the dog during this time. Amidst the exchanges, Gandhi fed the puppy. At one point, he offered a biscuit to the puppy, and when it turned away, he handed the biscuit purportedly to its owner.