'If Indira Gandhi Were Alive Today, She Would Have Banned BJP': Ashok Gehlot's Remarks Spark Row - Video

Jaipur: Former Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, while accusing the BJP of communal politics, said that if former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi were alive today, she would have banned the party.

"If a leader like Indira Gandhi were alive today, she would have banned a party like the BJP. I am saying with full responsibility that the atmosphere today is extremely dangerous. If the country still does not wake up, then the people of this country themselves will suffer the consequences later," he said while speaking at an award programme in Jaipur on Sunday.

The Congress veteran further alleged that those in power today are "deliberately carrying out religious polarisation".

Referring to Uttar Pradesh, Gehlot questioned why the BJP did not field Muslim candidates.

"You could have given five seats just to show it to the people of the country. But you want to project that 'we are a purely Hindutva party'," he said.

Parliamentary affairs Minister Kiran Rijiju slammed Gehlot and wrote on X,"Shri Ashok Gehlot is reminding us of how dictatorial Smt Indira Gandhi Ji was, who didn't believe in democracy. Beware of dynastic Congress Party."

Hitting out at Gehlot, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "Ashok Gehlot attacks Hindu, Hindutva; says Indira Gandhi would have banned BJP. This is the Emergency and intolerant mindset towards Hindutva and Hindus."

He further said, "Hindutva has been defined as a 'way of life' by the SC, but Congress, which has become Muslim League Congress, wants a ban on the political expression of Hindutva and Hindus now?"