Congress Parliamentary Party President Sonia Gandhi presents the 2024 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development to former President of Chile Michelle Bachelet during the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development in New Delhi November 19, 2025 | Photo credit: ANI
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday (Nov 21, 2025) slammed the Congress, calling it an “army of traitors” after its parliamentary party president Sonia Gandhi presented the 2024 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development to Michelle Bachelet, the former chairperson of the Na Chisle Commission on Human Rights. (November 19).
At a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said the incident showed that “anti-India blood” “runs in the veins” of the Congress. He accused India’s oldest party of functioning as a “Maoist group” and spreading its network abroad.
He claimed that Ms Bachelet had attacked Indian sovereignty with her remarks against the repeal of Article 370 and her objection to the introduction of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam. “The CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) is a law passed by Parliament. It was challenged in the Supreme Court… On whose orders did the UN Commission on Human Rights headed by Ms. Michelle Bachelet file a case in the Supreme Court interfering in our internal affairs saying that the CAA would violate human rights?” asked Mr. Bhatia.
“The same UN body cannot see the persecution of minority Hindus, Sikhs and Christians in Pakistan, cannot see the destruction of temples and gurdwaras in Bangladesh, forced conversions and demographic changes. Where was this body then…?” he asked.
It showed an alleged picture of Leader of the Opposition (Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi with Ms Bachelet and prominent investor George Soros, “aimed at harming India’s interests, insulting the mandate of the people and overthrowing governments”, accusing Gandhi of promoting an “anti-India agenda” by such international forces.
“Does she consider herself an Indian? . . . For Sonia Gandhi, her place of birth is supreme, not the Constitution of India? The religion she professes is everything to her . . .” he said, stating that Mrs Gandhi should be “ashamed of herself for insulting every citizen of the country by giving the award” to Mrs Bachelet.
Published – 21 Nov 2025 20:15 IST
