New Delhi, Feb. 24 : A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress of indulging in “dirty and shameless politics”, senior party leader Rahul Gandhi responded sharply, levelling a series of allegations against the government and asserting that his party would continue to “defend the country”.
In a post on X and a video message, Gandhi claimed that what was truly shameful was the alleged appearance of the prime minister’s name and that of a Union minister in the files linked to Jeffrey Epstein, as well as what he described as the “selling” of national interests under the India-US interim trade arrangement.
He also referred to legal proceedings in the United States involving industrialist Gautam Adani, alleging that the matter concerned the ruling party’s financial framework and questioning the absence of action for over a year.
Escalation of War of Words
The exchange follows remarks by Modi during a public event inaugurating the Namo Bharat train and the Meerut Metro extension, where he criticised the Congress over a “shirtless” protest staged by Youth Congress workers at the recent India AI Impact Summit held at Bharat Mandapam. The prime minister described the opposition’s conduct as “gandi aur nangi” (dirty and shameless) politics and accused it of tarnishing an international platform hosted by India.
Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, countered by alleging that the government had compromised farmers, small industries and national data interests. He further claimed that the prime minister avoided facing the opposition in Parliament during the Budget session due to the Adani case in the US.
Congress Stands Firm
In his message, Gandhi reiterated that the Congress would continue to challenge the government’s policies and “protect the country’s interests,” urging party workers not to step back.
The latest exchange marks another escalation in the ongoing political confrontation between the BJP-led government and the principal opposition party ahead of key political events.