NEW DELHI, Nov 7: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday launched a sharp attack on Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi over her criticism of the Modi government, asking her to remove her “Italian lenses” to recognise India’s progress over the past 12 years.
The BJP also criticised Gandhi for her remarks on the Emergency imposed in 1975, accusing her of attempting to justify the curtailment of democratic rights during the Congress regime.
Senior BJP leader Tarun Chugh alleged that the Congress had relied on caste, religious and vote-bank politics for decades to divide the country. He challenged Gandhi to address controversies and allegations linked to the Congress’ years in power, including corruption scandals, the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and the Bhopal gas tragedy.
Reacting to Gandhi’s comments, Chugh told PTI Videos that she would be able to recognise India’s achievements if she looked beyond her political perspective.
He highlighted the government’s development slogan of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Prayas’ and claimed that India was emerging as a global power, citing a GDP growth rate of 7.8 per cent.
Chugh also accused Gandhi of being uncomfortable with what he described as a growing wave of religious and cultural revival under the BJP-led NDA government.
Gandhi had recently alleged that the past 12 years under the Modi government had caused significant damage to India’s democratic institutions and social fabric. She said restoring the country’s institutions would take considerable time even after the present government leaves office.
In an interview with The Hindu ahead of the release of her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, Gandhi said people were increasingly recognising the damage and becoming restless.
Chugh also raised questions about Gandhi’s alleged reaction to the Batla House encounter and asked why she had not spoken about the sacrifices of Indian soldiers.
He further questioned the Congress leadership over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, referring to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s controversial remark following the assassination of Indira Gandhi: “When a big tree falls, the earth shakes.”
The BJP leader also raised allegations surrounding the Bofors controversy and the handling of the Bhopal gas tragedy, asking Gandhi to address these issues in her memoir.
Meanwhile, Gandhi’s comments on the Emergency also triggered a separate political controversy.
In the interview, she said the Emergency was imposed constitutionally, while acknowledging that democratic rights had been curtailed and habeas corpus had been suspended.
She also recalled the circumstances preceding the Emergency, including violent protests, attacks on government offices and public transport, widespread unrest and calls for government officials and armed forces personnel to disobey orders.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari accused Sonia Gandhi of attempting to portray former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as a victim rather than acknowledging the consequences of the Emergency.
In a post on X, Bhandari said the Congress leadership’s public relations efforts could not erase the historical record of the Emergency and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
The exchange has triggered fresh political sparring between the BJP and Congress, with both parties trading accusations over India’s democratic history, governance and political legacy.
