Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Monday sharply rebuked senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over his claim that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, had she been alive today, would have imposed a ban on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Athawale, speaking to reporters in New Delhi, called the remarks unbecoming of a politician of Gehlot's standing.

What Athawale Said

'I think no one can be stopped from making statements. Ashok Gehlot, the former Chief Minister of Rajasthan and a Member of Parliament multiple times, has made such a statement. I feel such statements are not right,' the Minister said. He further described the remarks as 'ridiculous and laughable.'

Athawale, who is also the founder of the Republic Party of India (RPI), argued that democracy has been strengthened under Prime Minister Narendra Modi since the BJP came to power, and that comments of this nature from a senior politician like Gehlot were 'irresponsible.'

What Gehlot Said That Sparked the Row

The controversy was triggered earlier in the day when Gehlot, addressing an event organised by the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Welfare Society Rajasthan in Jaipur, accused the BJP of weakening the country through religious polarisation.

'If a towering leader like Indira Gandhi were alive today, she would have imposed a ban on a party like BJP. Can you run a party solely on the agenda of Hindutva? Do you want to do politics only in the name of Hindus?' Gehlot said, according to reports.

BJP's Counter-Attack

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla responded sharply, framing Gehlot's remarks as evidence of what he called the Congress's hostility toward Hindus and Hindutva. 'Congress party hates Hindus and Hindutva. Another piece of evidence has come out in the form of a statement from Ashok Gehlot,' Poonawalla said.

Poonawalla went further, alleging that the remarks reflected an 'Emergency mindset' and described the Congress using a series of charged characterisations, claiming the party had effectively become, in his words, 'the Muslim League Maoist Congress.' He also reiterated the BJP's long-standing allegation that Congress prioritises Muslim interests over others.

The Broader Political Context

The exchange is the latest in a series of escalating verbal confrontations between the ruling BJP and the Congress ahead of upcoming political cycles. Gehlot, a veteran Congress strategist who served as Rajasthan's Chief Minister for multiple terms, has been increasingly vocal in his criticism of the BJP's governance record. Notably, invocations of Indira Gandhi — particularly her record on banning organisations — carry significant political weight given the contentious legacy of the Emergency period of 1975–77. Critics argue that using her name in the context of banning political parties is itself a double-edged reference that the BJP was quick to exploit.

The war of words is unlikely to subside, with both sides now firmly entrenched in their respective positions ahead of the next round of state-level political activity.