In a blistering rebuttal, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla has accused Rahul Gandhi of harboring an Emergency-like authoritarian mindset reminiscent of Indira Gandhi. Triggered by ex-Congress heavyweight Shakeel Ahmad’s damning critique, Poonawalla’s comments have ignited fresh controversy in India’s polarized political landscape.
Ahmad, once a senior Congress figure, spilled the beans on Rahul’s role in the party’s Bihar debacle. Far from external conspiracies like SIR or stolen votes, Ahmad revealed ticket distribution corruption as the real culprit. Yet Rahul persists with deflection tactics, dodging accountability for Congress’s internal rot.
‘Rejecting Sonia’s Congress, Rahul promotes newcomers over seasoned leaders,’ Ahmad charged, painting Rahul as insecure and vindictive. Poonawalla echoed this in his video statement, warning that such traits mirror the Emergency-era paranoia that once gripped the nation under Indira.
On X, Poonawalla labeled Rahul ‘Indian politics’ biggest coward,’ unfit to lead. Ahmad dismissed Rahul’s constitution-saving rhetoric as hollow, citing Bihar Muslims who confirmed no vote cuts occurred. Congress, he said, has resigned to third-rate status nationally, banking on BJP’s misfortunes instead of self-reform.
These accusations strike at Congress’s core amid its leadership vacuum. With Rahul as Lok Sabha opposition head, the party faces existential threats. Poonawalla’s salvo could embolden defectors and fracture alliances further. As elections loom, this exposes Congress’s fragility, challenging Rahul to prove his mettle or risk irrelevance.