In a scathing political attack, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday Rahul Gandhi of encouraging a "culture of vulgarity" after abusive language was used against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a Congress meet in Darbhanga, Bihar. The incident, which occurred during the ongoing Congress-led ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, has triggered a political firestorm, with BJP leaders demanding an immediate apology from Rahul Gandhi, even though he was not physically present at the event.
A video from the rally has gone viral, showing someone in the crowd, yet to be clearly identified, using the stage microphone to hurl expletives, specifically targeting Prime Minister NarendraModi. The stage bore large posters of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, which the BJP claims links them directly to the indecent outburst.
Reacting strongly, the BJP posted a statement in Hindi on its official X handle, stating, “Extremely indecent language was used from Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav's yatra stage against the late mother of Prime Minister Narendra Modi; such that it cannot even be repeated. Such depravity has never been seen before in politics. This yatra has crossed all limits of insult, hatred, and vulgarity.”
The party also criticised the Congress and RJD for inviting leaders such as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who they accused of disrespecting Bihar in the past, suggesting the event was a culmination of deep-seated contempt for both the state and the Prime Minister.
“Now, in their state of desperation, they are making people hurl abuses at the revered late mother of Prime Minister Modi ji… This is such a mistake that even if Rahul and Tejashwi beg for forgiveness a thousand times by holding their ears and doing sit-ups, the people of Bihar will not forgive them,” the post continued.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Naushad, a former Indian Youth Congress national secretary and the organiser of the Darbhanga rally, later admitted that inappropriate language had been used and publicly apologised. “We have been party workers for 20 years and we would never stoop to such cheap and disgraceful behaviour. He is our country’s Prime Minister, the Prime Minister of the entire nation,” Naushad said.
He also suggested that the abusive remarks may not have come from Congress supporters at all. “Whoever made such abusive remarks or engaged in this behaviour, I strongly condemn it and I apologise for it. I seek forgiveness. It is also possible that this was done by someone from the opposition or by people with vested interests, as there are always people wanting tickets,” he added.
BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya was quick to pounce on Naushad’s admission and took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi. “People like Naushad draw inspiration from Rahul Gandhi, and when a leader’s tongue is foul and cheap, what more can one expect from their henchmen? Rahul Gandhi should learn from Naushad and apologise to the people of the country for his utterly indecent language,” Malviya said.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra also condemned the incident during a press conference. “The rally currently taking place in Bihar and the language being used there are deeply disturbing. It is unfortunate that we even have to discuss such behaviour in a press conference. In a democracy, there are certain boundaries, and today those boundaries have been crossed,” he said.
Patra accused the Congress of abandoning the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi. “The same party that once associated itself with the freedom struggle and Mahatma Gandhi has now turned into an abusive party. It no longer upholds Gandhi ji’s ideals; instead, it has become a party belonging to the Gandhi family. Their arrogance is evident. They are driven only by political agendas, and when those agendas fail, they resort to abuse.”
Senior BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh minister Vishwas Kailash Sarang said Rahul Gandhi himself must come forward and apologise. “The whole world respects PM Modi, and Rahul Gandhi is insulting him in this manner. Rahul Gandhi himself should come and apologise to the public,” he told reporters.
Union minister Chirag Paswan also strongly criticised the language used during the rally and linked it to RJD’s political culture. “They have spoken like local goons, and this is a tradition of the RJD, which has defamed Bihar since the 1990s. Till now, we are fighting for our lost legacy and respect,” Paswan said.
He called for greater responsibility in political discourse. “In politics, there are bound to be differences. In a diverse democracy like India, everyone has their opinion and vote, and because of differences, one cannot lower the dignity of languages. Indian languages have such a good collection of words and one can make the sharpest of attacks by using dignified words.”
“If you have some issues with the work of the Prime Minister and government policies, you can raise them. But you cannot use abusive language against the Prime Minister’s family, who are far from public life,” he added.
The ongoing ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, spearheaded by Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi. Yadav, is aimed at highlighting what the Congress and the Opposition claim is a nexus between the BJP and the Election Commission to manipulate electoral outcomes.
