BJP calls Rahul Gandhi 'incompetent', unfit for LoP role after President meeting
Synopsis
The BJP's broadside against Rahul Gandhi after his Rashtrapati Bhavan remarks is more than routine political sparring — it signals a deliberate BJP strategy to frame Gandhi as temperamentally unfit for high office, using his own characterisation of President Murmu's response as the ammunition. With the Opposition escalating its Election Commission offensive, the ruling party appears equally determined to shift the narrative to Gandhi's conduct.
Key Takeaways
BJP National Spokesperson Sambit Patra on 10 October called Rahul Gandhi an 'incompetent leader' unfit to hold high office in India.
The attack followed Gandhi's claim that President Droupadi Murmu had asked the INDIA Bloc delegation to submit evidence of 'vote chori' after a 9 October meeting at Rashtrapati Bhavan .
The INDIA Bloc delegation included Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge , Mamata Banerjee , Omar Abdullah , Supriya Sule , and others.
The delegation submitted a memorandum citing alleged electoral irregularities and what they described as efforts to undermine Indian democracy.
Opposition protests have centred on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and a demand for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday, 10 October launched a sharp attack on Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, calling his conduct after a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan emblematic of an 'incompetent leader' who is 'not responsible enough' to hold high office in India.
What Triggered the BJP's Remarks
A delegation of Opposition INDIA Bloc members — led by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi — met President Murmu on Friday, 9 October at Rashtrapati Bhavan, submitting a memorandum citing alleged electoral irregularities and what they described as attempts to undermine Indian democracy.
Following the meeting, LoP Gandhi publicly stated that President Murmu had asked the Opposition delegation to provide evidence substantiating its allegations of 'vote chori' (vote theft). It was this characterisation of the President's response that drew the BJP's ire.
What the BJP Spokesperson Said
BJP National Spokesperson Sambit Patra, addressing a press conference, alleged that Gandhi had attempted to 'drag the President of the country into a street protest.' Patra said he was choosing his words carefully but felt compelled to describe Gandhi's post-meeting remarks as those of an incompetent leader.
'Never has anyone attempted to drag the President into a street protest. However, a nalayak neta attempted to do that. The anarchist Rahul Gandhi tried to pull the President of India to the anarchism which he is trying his best to conduct on the streets of India,' Patra alleged.
Patra further questioned Gandhi's suitability for higher office, stating: 'After coming out, this incompetent leader says that "the President has agreed with what we are saying." Just think, is this person capable of becoming the Prime Minister of the country or holding a high office? He himself has proved that he is not responsible enough to hold a high office in India.'
Who Was in the Opposition Delegation
The delegation included senior figures from across the INDIA Bloc: All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) Chairperson Mamata Banerjee, Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah, NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule, CPI-M General Secretary M.A. Baby, RJD Rajya Sabha member Prof Manoj Kumar Jha, CPI General Secretary D. Raja, Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Rai, and VCK President and MP Dr Thirumaavalavan Tholkappiyan.
The Broader Context
The Rashtrapati Bhavan visit came after several days of sustained Opposition protests against the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged irregularities in the electoral process. The Opposition has also been demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
This is not the first time the BJP has trained its fire on Gandhi over his conduct as LoP — the party has repeatedly questioned his suitability for the role since he assumed it following the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The latest exchange sharpens the political fault lines ahead of upcoming state assembly cycles.
Point of View
'anarchist' — is calibrated provocation, aimed less at the gallery in the press conference room and more at shifting public attention from the Opposition's electoral-rolls offensive to Gandhi's personal conduct. The irony is that the Opposition's core demand — scrutiny of the SIR process and the Election Commission's functioning — is substantive enough to warrant serious engagement. By centering the response on Gandhi's perceived temperament rather than the substance of the memorandum, the BJP arguably leaves the electoral-integrity question unaddressed. Whether Gandhi's post-meeting remarks were imprudent or merely blunt, the pattern of personalising every political contest around him risks obscuring the institutional questions the INDIA Bloc has raised.
NationPress
10 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the BJP call Rahul Gandhi an incompetent leader?
The BJP reacted to Rahul Gandhi's public claim after a 9 October meeting at Rashtrapati Bhavan that President Droupadi Murmu had agreed with the Opposition's position on alleged electoral irregularities. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that Gandhi misrepresented the President's response and attempted to drag the constitutional office into a street protest.
What did the INDIA Bloc delegation discuss with President Murmu?
The delegation submitted a memorandum on 9 October raising concerns about alleged electoral irregularities, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and what the Opposition described as attempts to undermine Indian democracy. They also reiterated their demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar .
Who were the members of the INDIA Bloc delegation that met President Murmu?
The delegation included Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge , Rahul Gandhi , TMC Chairperson Mamata Banerjee , J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah , NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule , CPI-M General Secretary M.A. Baby , RJD's Prof Manoj Kumar Jha , CPI General Secretary D. Raja , SP MP Rajeev Rai , and VCK President Dr Thirumaavalavan Tholkappiyan .
What is the Opposition's demand regarding the Election Commission?
The Opposition has been demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and has raised objections to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging the process is being used to manipulate voter data ahead of elections.
What did Rahul Gandhi say after meeting President Murmu?
After the 9 October meeting, Rahul Gandhi stated that President Murmu had asked the Opposition delegation to provide evidence to substantiate its allegations of 'vote chori' (vote theft). The BJP alleged that Gandhi mischaracterised this as presidential agreement with the Opposition's stance.
