They came hunting, but ended up being hunted themselves. This line seems to perfectly describe the current condition of the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi. Over the last eleven years, it has become increasingly difficult even to count how many times Rahul Gandhi has fallen into traps of his own making. Time and again, he has been caught in situations created by his own actions and statements.
In politics, defeat, failure, or even repeated setbacks are not unusual. Losing elections or suffering parliamentary defeats is part of democratic life. However, what Rahul Gandhi has been doing recently—especially during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament over the last three days—goes far beyond normal political setbacks and enters the realm of serious institutional misconduct.
During the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, several Members of Parliament spoke. As Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi was given priority and multiple opportunities—at least five or six times—to speak. Yet, on none of these occasions did he address the President’s Address itself. Instead, he attempted to speak about an unpublished book allegedly written by a former Chief of Army Staff, a book that has not yet been cleared by the Ministry of Defence.
Whenever material related to national security is to be published, it must undergo mandatory vetting by the Defence Ministry and the Home Ministry to ensure that sensitive information does not enter the public domain. This particular book has not received such clearance. Despite this, Rahul Gandhi wanted to raise so-called excerpts from this unpublished book inside Parliament.
On one occasion, Rahul Gandhi even claimed within the Parliament premises that he personally possessed a copy of this book. This immediately raises a serious legal question. If such a book exists without Defence Ministry clearance and has been circulated, then both the publisher and Rahul Gandhi himself could potentially be accused of violating the Official Secrets Act. Under Indian law, such violations can invite prosecution and punishment.
Ironically, history shows a clear contradiction in Congress’s own conduct. In the past, the Congress party itself had threatened legal action under the Official Secrets Act over the publication of books related to national security, including works on the 1962 India-China war. Today, leaders of the same party are attempting to rely on an unpublished, unverified manuscript dealing with sensitive defence matters.
This raises a deeper question about intent. The core objective behind such actions appears to be political rather than substantive. Rahul Gandhi, time and again, has demonstrated a willingness to align—directly or indirectly—with narratives that damage India’s national interest, as long as they serve one purpose: weakening Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image, destabilizing his government, and creating an opportunity to remove him from power.
However, the situation escalated further with an incident inside the Parliament complex. Suspended Congress and opposition MPs were sitting near Makar Dwar, the main entrance of Parliament. As Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu was passing through, Rahul Gandhi reportedly addressed him with the words, “Hello, traitor brother,” while extending his hand.
Bittu refused to shake hands and responded strongly, stating that he could not shake hands with someone he considered anti-national. He reminded Rahul Gandhi of the role played by the Gandhi family during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and the attack on the Golden Temple, questioning how a turban-wearing Sikh could be labeled a traitor. This exchange triggered a major political storm, with the BJP alleging that Rahul Gandhi had insulted the Sikh community as a whole.
What made the matter even more sensitive was the fact that Ravneet Singh Bittu was once a close associate of Rahul Gandhi within the Congress party before leaving to join the BJP and later becoming a Union Minister. Rahul Gandhi reportedly added that Bittu would “return one day,” to which Bittu later questioned why someone labeled a traitor would be welcomed back.
As Rahul Gandhi found himself cornered, Congress attempted to create a counter-narrative inside Parliament. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey presented multiple published books in the House—books detailing allegations against the Gandhi family, including works on the Mitrokhin Archive, the Bofors scandal, and other historical controversies. These books, written by various authors, including well-known journalists and scholars, are all published, publicly available, and part of the public domain.
Congress questioned why Nishikant Dubey was allowed to refer to books while Rahul Gandhi was stopped. The answer lies in basic parliamentary procedure. Parliament allows references to published material relevant to the subject under discussion. The discussion at hand was on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address. An unpublished, unverified book allegedly containing sensitive national security information has no procedural relevance to that discussion.
Furthermore, Nishikant Dubey authenticated the books he cited by placing them on record, making himself accountable for any claims. Rahul Gandhi, on the other hand, refused to authenticate either the book or the newspaper clippings he attempted to cite. This fundamental procedural difference cannot be ignored.
The situation deteriorated further when Congress leaders announced that if the Leader of the Opposition was not allowed to speak, they would prevent members of the ruling party from speaking as well. As a result, when the Prime Minister arrived in the Lok Sabha at the scheduled time to reply to the debate on the President’s Address, aggressive protests by opposition MPs disrupted proceedings. The Presiding Officer was left with no option but to adjourn the House for the entire day.
This marked an unprecedented moment in India’s parliamentary history: a Prime Minister was prevented from delivering his reply in Parliament. The BJP has further highlighted that this reply was related to the President’s Address delivered by President Droupadi Murmu, who comes from a tribal background, framing the disruption as an insult to constitutional dignity as well.
Beyond individual incidents, this entire episode reflects a broader pattern. Congress repeatedly raises issues without fully understanding their implications, only to find that these issues ultimately turn against the party itself. By attempting to weaponize an unpublished book, Congress inadvertently opened the door to renewed scrutiny of numerous published works critical of the Gandhi family.
Rahul Gandhi’s conduct raises serious questions about parliamentary decorum and public responsibility. His language toward the Prime Minister, constitutional authorities, and fellow MPs reflects a disregard for institutional norms. His behavior suggests a sense of entitlement—the belief that rules, traditions, and accountability apply to everyone else, but not to him.
This behavior is rooted in frustration. Eleven years out of power is a long time for a party accustomed to ruling for decades. For the first time in independent India’s history, the Congress party has remained out of power for over a decade continuously. Deprived of authority, the party appears increasingly desperate, willing to cross any line to reclaim power.
History reinforces this pattern. Since 1989, the Indian electorate has repeatedly rejected Congress’s claim to a natural right to rule. Even when Congress formed governments in 1991 and 2004, it did so without a clear majority mandate, relying on sympathy or coalition arithmetic rather than popular endorsement. Allegations of horse-trading and corruption during confidence votes further weakened its moral standing.
In contrast, the BJP secured decisive mandates in 2014 and 2019, and even in the most recent election emerged as the single largest party by a significant margin. Congress, meanwhile, failed for the third consecutive time to cross even the 100-seat mark in the Lok Sabha.
Rahul Gandhi’s repeated breaches of parliamentary norms, his inflammatory language, and his handling of sensitive national security issues are steadily pushing the Congress party further into political irrelevance. Public memory is long, and voters are observant. Ultimately, it is the electorate that delivers the final verdict—and when the time comes, the answer will be given not in slogans or protests, but at the ballot box.
From Beiing Hindu FB
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