Rahul Gandhi calls BJP-RSS ‘bunch of jokers’; BJP hits back with ‘arrogance’ barb

During a Congress National Convention in Mumbai, Rahul Gandhi referred to the BJP and RSS as "a bunch of jokers" lacking understanding of India. He criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign policy, which he believed was based on the notion that diplomacy was simply "all about hugging". The BJP responded by accusing Rahul of disrupting parliamentary proceedings with "arrogance, indiscipline and obstinacy", and denounced the hug incident as "vulgar" and a "new low in public discourse".

Rahul claimed the Opposition was fighting against people who had no grasp of India's philosophy or history, stating that many Indians were behaving like "cowards". He also criticized the RSS, alleging it had been "captured and utilised by large capital, Mr Adani and Mr Ambani", and that it no longer represented small Indian businessmen.

Rahul's comments about the Meloni jibe were met with harsh criticism from the BJP, with Vanathi Srinivasan stating that while criticism was permissible, insulting women and reducing public life to vulgar jokes was not.