BJP attacks Rahul Gandhi over ‘Shiv Ki Baraat’ remark, claims ‘anti-Hindu’ sentiments
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday (October 12, 2026) slammed Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for describing the opposition’s protest march in Delhi as “Shiv Ki Baraat” (wedding procession of Lord Shiva). The BJP also accused him of harboring anti-Hindu sentiments and alleged that the Congress-led agitation was aimed at creating anarchy.
“The top Congress leadership is completely aimless. Just a while back they were saying that Congress is like ‘Shivji Ki Baraat’. Those who are against Lord Rama are now talking about ‘Shivji Ki Baraat’?” Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said at a press conference. He described the protesters as rioters who are trying to spread chaos in the streets.
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Asserting that Mr Gandhi had “nothing to do with Indian values, traditions and beliefs”, he said: “The Congress leader does not even have the right to invoke the name of Lord Shiva.” He also claimed that the main opposition party and its allies have become puppets in the hands of foreign powers.
Former Union minister and BJP leader Anurag Thakur said in a separate press conference, “Wherever Rahul Gandhi and his party find an opportunity, whether in Parliament or on the streets, they make remarks about Sanatan Dharma, insult it or invoke it for their own political ends. This is what they do: ‘Ali, Ali at night;’ Bajrang.”
In a post on X, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari described Mr Gandhi as a “Chunavi Hindu” (an election-time Hindu) and accused him of comparing himself to Lord Shiva. “Shame on Rahul Gandhi! He is comparing his protest to ‘Shivji Ki Baraat’. This not only exposes his anti-Hindu hatred but also tells you that this man who is a ‘Chunavi Hindu’ (Hindu at election time) is comparing himself to ‘Bhagwan Shiv’! Mr. Gandhi this is a political protest, an anarchic protest!
Earlier, Mr Chouhan had blamed the Congress’s electoral setbacks on what he called its “visionless” leadership rather than the Election Commission of India (ECI). According to him, the party leadership “did not understand the country, its people, their values or traditions.”
He also said that the party has been reduced to a “junior partner” in Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir. The Union minister cited several states where the Congress has been out of power for decades, including Tamil Nadu (59), West Bengal (49), Uttar Pradesh (37), Bihar (36), Tripura (33), Gujarat (31), Odisha (26), Nagaland (23), Goa (14) and Delhi (13).
“For the last few years, the Congress has been continuously attacking constitutional institutions and blaming them for its electoral defeats. Losing one election after another and venting its frustrations by staging protests on the streets has become fatal for it,” he said.
“What is the state of the Congress today? There is infighting in Uttar Pradesh. In Punjab, the State party president had to be replaced,” Mr. Chouhan said, also alleging infighting in the Congress units in Karnataka and Telangana.
“Are they talking about the constitution? They dismissed elected governments more than 90 times (during Congress rule). They changed chief ministers like changing clothes. Congress strangled democracy by imposing emergency,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the other hand, enjoyed overwhelming public support, the Union minister said, adding that the citizens had wholeheartedly supported his efforts to realize the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’.
“India’s progress has become incomprehensible to the Congress and now it is aligning itself with the forces that are trying to divide the country. In January 2025, when its new headquarters were inaugurated, Rahul ji said in his speech that his fight was not only against the BJP but that he was fighting against the Indian state,” Mr Chouhan said.
“But no matter how much the Congress tries to create chaos on the streets, it will fail. It has already fallen in the eyes of the people. It will eventually be wiped out completely,” he added.
Published – 12 Oct 2026 22:14 IST