Rahul Gandhi-Priyanka Gandhi Bond Mocked by BJP’s Kailash Vijayvargiya, Sparks Political Uproar

Congress accuses Vijayvargiya of mocking Indian traditions and insulting the emotional bond of siblings during Navratri celebrations.

Madhya Pradesh Urban Development Minister and senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya stirred a major political row on Thursday with his sharp comments aimed at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his public affection for sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The BJP veteran was in Shajapur to mark the birth anniversary of party ideologue Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay. Before addressing the gathering, he offered prayers at the Rajrajeshwari Mata temple.

During his speech, filled with cultural references, Mr Vijayvargiya remarked, “We are people of an old culture. In our sisters’ village, we don’t even drink the water. In Jirapur, where my aunt lived, my father would carry a pot of water from home. Our opposition leaders today are such that they kiss their young sisters in the middle of a crossroads. I want to ask you, who among you kisses your young sisters or daughters in public? This is a lack of values. These are foreign values, brought up abroad. They even speak rudely to the Prime Minister.”

The statement was seen as a direct jibe at Rahul Gandhi, who has often been photographed hugging or kissing his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at rallies and public functions.

Later, doubling down on his criticism, the minister said, “It’s not his (Mr Gandhi’s) fault. The Leader of the Opposition studied abroad and imported those values. He doesn’t understand Indian traditions. He even addresses the Prime Minister as ‘tu’.”

The remarks quickly triggered a furious response from Congress. State party chief Jitu Patwari launched a scathing counterattack, saying, “Kailash Vijayvargiya has chosen Navratri, the festival of worshipping the Mother Goddess, to insult the sacred brother-sister bond. Everyone knows his language. He has insulted women repeatedly, sometimes over their clothes, sometimes their education, sometimes their speech. This is his thinking about sisters and daughters. Frankly, I feel ashamed to even respond to such a shameless comment.”

The controversy has once again spotlighted Kailash Vijayvargiya’s fiery rhetoric, with critics alleging that his remarks blur the line between political rivalry and personal attacks.