BJP calls Rahul Gandhi 'nalayak neta' over President Murmu comments

The Bharatiya Janata Party has accused Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi of trying to drag President Droupadi Murmu into political street fights and spreading anarchy across the country, branding him a "nalayak neta" (incompetent leader).

Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi on Saturday, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra slammed Gandhi for misrepresenting an official meeting at Rashtrapati Bhavan. A 10-member INDIA bloc delegation, led by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Gandhi, had met President Murmu on Friday to submit a memorandum alleging wide-scale electoral fraud and demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

What did Sambit Patra say about Rahul Gandhi?

Patra told reporters that Gandhi demonstrated a complete lack of political maturity and protocol by claiming the President had implicitly acknowledged opposition claims.

"An incompetent leader tried to drag the President into a political street fight," Patra said. "It is basic protocol that the President accepts a memorandum, but he turned it into a drama."

The BJP spokesperson questioned why the opposition delegation failed to present concrete proof during the meeting if they had been alleging electoral manipulation for months.

"If you are going to submit the evidence later, why did you go there in the first place without it?" Patra asked, challenging the opposition to present its findings directly to the Election Commission of India instead of staging public demonstrations.

Patra added that Gandhi's conduct and language towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and key constitutional offices showed he was not responsible enough to hold the position of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

How did the meeting with President Murmu unfold?

The opposition delegation included key alliance leaders, such as Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party MP Rajiv Rai, Nationalist Congress Party leader Supriya Sule, and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah.

The leaders marched towards Rashtrapati Bhavan following protests in the capital regarding the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Police halted the main march at Vijay Chowk, allowing only the 10-member delegation to proceed.

Following the interaction, Gandhi posted on social media that he was shocked that President Murmu did not deny the allegations of electoral fraud made against the government. He stated that the President requested supporting evidence, which the opposition promised to provide shortly.

Government sources later dismissed Gandhi's interpretation, saying it was unfortunate that the President's office was being drawn into partisan disputes and noting that accepting a memorandum carries no implication of agreeing with its claims.

What happened in Nagpur?

The row coincided with actions in Maharashtra, where members of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha in Nagpur performed symbolic ancestral rituals targeting Gandhi's deceased family members, including former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi.

City chief Dayashankar Tiwari claimed Gandhi was suffering from a mental disorder driven by ancestral karma, or "pitru dosh", and said he hoped the ritual would bring him wisdom.

Congress leaders responded swiftly. Nagpur Congress chief Prafulla Gudadhe said Gandhi was exercising his constitutional right to question the ruling party on behalf of the public. Former Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole added that the ruling party was panicked by opposition movements and noted that past Congress prime ministers had sacrificed their lives for the nation.