BJP President JP Nadda on Thursday accused Rahul Gandhi of a history of abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and members of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), as well as siding with “anti-India forces”. This came in response to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s recent letter to Modi, in which he criticised members of the BJP-led NDA for using “extremely objectionable” language against Gandhi.
Nadda’s remarks were a direct rebuttal to Kharge, who had urged Modi to take action against BJP leaders for their “violent statements” targetting the Leader of the Opposition. In a three-page letter written in Hindi, Nadda questioned Kharge’s motives, suggesting that he was “trying to justify Rahul Gandhi” under political pressure to promote a “failed product” that the public has repeatedly rejected.
“Your comments are far from truth,” Nadda wrote. “It appears from your letter that you have either forgotten the misdeeds of Gandhi and other leaders or have deliberately ignored them.”
Kharge had previously called for strict legal action against those making inflammatory remarks to prevent a further decline in Indian politics. He highlighted incidents where a Union minister and a minister from Uttar Pradesh labeled Gandhi a “number one terrorist,” and a Shiv Sena MLA offered a reward of Rs 11 lakh for cutting off the Leader of the Opposition’s tongue.
In his letter, Nadda defended Modi against past insults, stating that Gandhi had once suggested people “beat up” Modi with a baton. He also recalled Sonia Gandhi referring to Modi as “maut ka saudagar” during his tenure as Gujarat chief minister.
“You and your party leaders kept glorifying such unfortunate and shameful comments,” Nadda said, questioning Kharge’s commitment to political integrity. He suggested that Kharge’s defence of Gandhi is a symptom of the Congress party’s failures and urged the Congress leader to engage in self-reflection.
Nadda claimed that in the last decade, Congress leaders had insulted Modi over 110 times and accused the party of double standards. He asserted that no leader in independent India has been as insulted as Modi.
“Does Congress feel proud of Gandhi because he pallies with anti-India and pro-Pakistan forces and seeks foreign intervention in Indian democracy?” Nadda asked. He further accused Gandhi of disrespecting Hindu culture and questioning the bravery of Indian armed forces.
Nadda named several Congress leaders—Sam Pitroda, Shashi Tharoor, Digvijay Singh, P. Chidambaram, K. Suresh, and Imran Masood—claiming they worked to defame the country and incited divisions among communities.
He also said, “If anyone has defamed and insulted Indian democracy the most, it is the Congress party,” citing the imposition of the Emergency and the party’s alleged support for triple talaq.
The BJP leader further alleged that the main Opposition party is selling the poison of casteism and anti-national content from its so called “mohabbat ki dukan“.