BJP MP Nishikant Dubey launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday over his recent remarks supporting the widespread learning of English in India. Dubey accused Gandhi of “hypocrisy” and pointed out that the former Congress government under Rajiv Gandhi, Rahul’s father, had outlined similar multilingual goals in the 1986 National Education Policy (NEP).
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Dubey shared screenshots allegedly from the 1986 NEP, which promoted Hindi, Sanskrit, regional languages, and included provisions for English and foreign languages.
“Rahul Gandhi ji, your advisor is misleading you. Your father, in 1986, gave an education policy to the country that promotes Hindi, teaches Sanskrit, and called for translating English into regional languages. PM Modi’s NEP 2020 follows the same spirit, encouraging regional language development alongside global skills,” Dubey posted in Hindi.
Dubey further questioned Gandhi’s preference for English over Indian languages, remarking, “Russia, China, France, Germany, Arab countries, Japan, Korea – they all take pride in their languages. Why are you proud of English like slaves? We are proud of Santhali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Malayalam, Hindi, Sanskrit.”
His post came in response to Rahul Gandhi’s assertion on X that English is a “tool of empowerment” rather than of oppression. Gandhi said the BJP-RSS opposes English education for India’s poor to “keep them from questioning, progressing, and becoming equal.”
“English is not shame, it is power… In today’s world, English is as important as your mother tongue because it provides employment and confidence. Every language of India has soul and knowledge, but English gives opportunity to compete globally,” Rahul Gandhi wrote.
Gandhi’s remarks were seen as a rebuttal to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who recently advocated prioritising Indian languages, stating they are “ornaments of our culture” essential for understanding India’s history and dharma.
The debate also drew comments from Tamil Nadu Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, who objected to Shah’s remarks, defending the role of English in modern education and empowerment.
The spat reflects the ongoing political divide over language policy in India, with the BJP emphasising regional and classical languages under NEP 2020, while Congress pushes for balancing this with stronger English proficiency to ensure global competitiveness.