Congress defends Rahul Gandhi’s ‘traitor’ remark, calls it ‘reflection of public anger’

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has triggered a fresh political controversy after calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah “traitors” during a public gathering in Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli district. The Congress MP from Raebareli accused the ruling BJP and the RSS of allegedly working against the interests of the country and attacking the Constitution. Addressing the gathering, Gandhi said, “Aapke pradhanmantri and griha mantri gaddar hain (Your Prime Minister and Home Minister are traitors).” “When these RSS workers come before you, when they talk about Narendra Modi, when they talk about Amit Shah, tell them directly to their faces that your Prime Minister is a traitor, your Home Minister is a traitor, and your organisation is a traitor. BJP-RSS are traitors, because together you have worked to sell the country,” he added. The remarks quickly sparked a political debate, with the Congress defending Gandhi’s statements and asserting that they reflected the anger and frustration being felt by people across the country. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Congress leader Pawan Khera said there is widespread dissatisfaction among citizens, including those who had voted for the present government. “There is a deep sense of anxiety in the country in every section of society. There is a deep sense of betrayal that people feel, especially those who voted for them. There is a deep sense of disappointment, sadness, and anger. As a responsible opposition party, we have to necessarily articulate that anger. What Mr Gandhi said is less than what we hear on the streets about the government,” Khera said. He further claimed that public sentiment against the government was even stronger than the language used by Rahul Gandhi. “If one asks people around on the streets about the government, and without editing anything, you will realise that the truth is way more bitter than what Rahul Gandhi has said. And the King should have the capability to take the bitterness,” he added. Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party, which is an ally of the Congress in the INDIA bloc, distanced itself from Gandhi’s remarks and clarified that it does not endorse such language in political discourse. Speaking to IANS, Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad said, “That is his ideology. We cannot use such language.” The BJP came down heavily on the LoP over the remarks against the Prime Minister and Home Minister, calling Gandhi’s thinking “anarchic”. BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari, speaking to IANS, said, “Rahul Gandhi’s thinking is anarchic. Rahul Gandhi speaks exactly like urban Naxals. Rahul Gandhi has called 140 crore countrymen traitors. All of this makes it clear that Rahul Gandhi’s policy and intention are similar to those of the Tukde-Tukde gang. And he is frustrated that his intention to fight against the Indian state and to provoke and incite Gen-Z was unsuccessful.”