New Delhi [India], January 20: Congress MP Rajeev Shukla came to the defense of Rahul Gandhi on Monday after an FIR was filed against him in Assam’s Guwahati over his remark about “fighting the state.” Shukla accused the BJP of twisting Gandhi’s statements and filing false FIRs against him in BJP-governed states to use local police forces to harass him.
“BJP twists his (Rahul Gandhi’s) statements and registers false FIRs, especially in states where they are in power, so that the police will favor them and harass Rahul Gandhi. This has happened before in BJP-run states, and the Supreme Court had to intervene. It’s their habit to harass the opposition to retain power,” said Shukla.
He further criticized the BJP, saying, “As soon as a criminal joins the BJP, they are no longer considered criminals. The BJP calls them criminals initially, but once they join the party, they are considered pure.”
Earlier, Shukla also commented on the MahaKumbh, stating, “Everyone will go; we will also go. Kumbh belongs to everyone. Nehru Ji and Indira Ji attended every Kumbh, and we will do the same. The Congress leaders from Uttar Pradesh have already been visiting. It is not a political gathering, but one of sadhus and saints. The BJP is trying to take credit for it, with advertisements, posters, and hoardings everywhere, instead of giving credit to the saints.”
This defense from the Congress comes after an FIR was filed against Rahul Gandhi at the Pan Bazar Police Station in Guwahati. The FIR was based on comments Gandhi made on January 15, 2025, during the inauguration of the new Congress headquarters at Kotla Road in Delhi. The FIR was registered under sections 152 and 197(1)d of the BNS for “acts endangering sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India,” a cognizable and non-bailable offence.
During his speech, Gandhi had said, “Our ideology, like the RSS ideology, is thousands of years old and has been fighting the RSS ideology for thousands of years. Do not think we are fighting a fair fight. There is no fairness in this. If you believe we are just fighting a political organization like the BJP or RSS, you haven’t understood what is happening. The BJP and the RSS have captured every single institution of our country. We are now fighting the BJP, the RSS, and the Indian state itself.”