The BJP on Thursday filed a formal complaint with the Chief Election Officer (CEO) of Bihar against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of making “derogatory remarks” about Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent campaign rallies.
The complaint, submitted by Bindhyachal Rai, convenor of the party’s Election Commission Coordination Department, alleged that Gandhi’s comments mocked and insulted the dignity of the Prime Minister’s office, violating the Model Code of Conduct and the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
At rallies in Muzaffarpur and Darbhanga on Wednesday, Gandhi had said, “Narendra Modi is ready to enact all types of drama. You try telling him at a poll rally that, Mr Prime Minister, we will vote for you if you dance. He will readily perform Bharat Natyam.”
Calling the remarks “personal” and “demeaning,” the BJP urged the Election Commission to issue a show-cause notice to Gandhi, direct him to offer an “unconditional public apology,” and bar him from campaigning for a specific period to “preserve the sanctity of democratic and electoral decorum.”
The party also accused the Congress leader of attempting to malign Modi’s image for political gain, describing it as a “corrupt electoral practice.”
Earlier in the day, Union Minister Annapurna Devi accused Gandhi of “hurting religious sentiments” by allegedly mocking Chhath Puja. She referred to his remarks that Modi had planned to take a dip in the Yamuna during the festival but cancelled it after discovering that a clean-water puddle had been arranged because the river was polluted.
“Women of Purvanchal who observe the festival with a 36-hour nirjala fast are aggrieved by his comments,” Annapurna Devi said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also slammed Gandhi for his remarks targeting the Prime Minister, saying his comments had left even “good leaders” in the Congress embarrassed. “The Congress party has suffered due to the comments of Rahul Gandhi. The good people in Congress too are embarrassed by his comments. No leader can speak in such a language,” Rijiju said on the sidelines of the third national conference on the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA).
He added that the people of India would never bring the Congress back to power if Gandhi continued to speak in such a manner. “Every time Rahul Gandhi opens his mouth, the party faces losses. The nation is progressing, but the Congress continues to face setbacks,” the senior BJP leader remarked.
Responding to the development, senior Congress leader Pawan Khera retorted: "It is an irony that the Prime Minister, who uses terms like 'mujra' while targeting his opponents, has a problem with the word 'dance'."
Khera was alluding to the May 25 comment of Modi. While addressing a rally in Bihar, the PM had said, “I will foil the plans of the INDIA bloc to rob the SCs, STs and OBC of their rights and divert those to Muslims. They may remain enslaved and perform ‘mujra’ to please their vote bank.”
Talking to reporters in Patna, Khera claimed that the BJP has no agenda and no report card to put before the public.
Earlier in the day, Union Minister Annapurna Devi had alleged that Rahul Gandhi was maligning the sanctity of Chhath puja “by terming it a drama.”
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who was on a two-day campaign tour of Bihar, on Wednesday said Rahul Gandhi's remark on Chhath puja as an insult to the faith of devotees.
In a post on X, the chief minister said Gandhi’s remarks reflected “political immaturity” and amounted to “a gross insult to the faith of millions of Chhath devotees.” “His comment on Chhath and ridicule directed at Mother Yamuna clearly show that his thoughts are so much distanced from Indian culture, Sanatan tradition, and folk beliefs,” she said.
Gupta added that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the Delhi government had ensured a “remarkable confluence of faith and cleanliness” at Yamuna ghats during Chhath celebrations, unlike in previous years when devotees “were forced to worship amidst foam and filth.” She said the BJP’s commitment to faith and cleanliness stood in sharp contrast to Congress’s “negative politics.”
Calling Gandhi’s remarks on Modi “derogatory” and a “reflection of political bankruptcy,” the chief minister said the Congress had “no agenda for Bihar” and was resorting to “personal accusations for cheap popularity.”
(With inputs from PTI)
