NEW DELHI: What began as an unusual political twist during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament has snowballed into a full-fledged ‘book versus book’ tussle between the Congress and the ruling BJP.
The confrontation was triggered when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi waved a book titled ‘Four Stars of Destiny’ by former Army Chief General M M Naravane while targeting PM Narendra Modi and the government.
The BJP, however, swiftly escalated the confrontation by countering with a vast collection of books—numbering more than 150—which it claims contain controversial and damaging material about the Congress and its leadership, stretching from the Nehru era to the present day.
According to BJP sources, the party’s think tanks and research cells were mobilised immediately to identify, archive and curate books and journals that have, at various points in history, either criticised or exposed alleged controversies involving senior Congress leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and their political successors.
These publications are now being used as political ammunition, both inside Parliament and across social media platforms by the ruling BJP, which has a strong presence in the Houses and across the social media platforms.
Leading this initiative is BJP Lok Sabha MP Dr Nishikant Dubey, who has amassed a sizeable collection of such books and has been at the forefront of presenting them as evidence of what the BJP describes as the Congress’s troubled political legacy.
Amid the heated exchanges, Dubey accused Rahul Gandhi of behaving like an “urban Naxal”, intensifying the verbal sparring between the two sides.
As the Congress continued its attacks on the PM through the symbolism of a single book, the BJP is learnt to have encouraged its leaders to dig out as much adverse material as possible from published sources and circulate it widely. The aim, according to party insiders, is to highlight what they call a long history of flawed policies, corruption and dynastic politics under Congress rule.
“So far, we have compiled sets of over 150 books and journals that severely expose Congress leaders from the Nehru era to the present,” said a senior BJP leader, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Taking the campaign a step further, Dubey has announced plans to establish a dedicated library documenting what he terms the misdeeds of the Nehru-Gandhi family. Making a public appeal for contributions, he said, “I have decided to create a library on the misdeeds of the Nehru-Gandhi family, the corruption perpetrated by them, the damage inflicted on the country due to their policies, and the harm caused to the nation by their personal activities.”
He added that the proposed library would serve as a valuable resource for students and future generations engaged in research. Among the books showcased by BJP leaders is ‘These Lethal, Inexorable Laws’ by Arun Shourie, a sharp critique of Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure that highlights alleged governance failures, ethical lapses and the handling of the Bofors scandal.