Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Monday sharply condemned Rajya Sabha member Kapil Sibal over his remark that he was “ashamed to live” in India, calling the statement an affront to the country’s democratic institutions, its Constitution, and all 140 crore Indians. The backlash came swiftly, with senior party figures accusing Sibal of harbouring a “colonial mindset.”

What Sibal Said

The controversy was triggered after Sibal, a senior advocate and independent Rajya Sabha member, reacted to a reported attack on Trinamool Congress (TMC) members of Parliament Abhishek Banerjee and Kalyan Banerjee. “It’s shameful, absolutely shameful. I’m ashamed that I’m living in a country where this is what happens, where the political party in power will use any means to destroy whatever foundations of democracy our great leaders laid down when this republic came into being,” Sibal said.

BJP’s Response

BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh was among the first to respond, stating: “Kapil Sibal’s statement against the country is an insult to India’s democratic institutions, the Constitution, and 140 crore Indians. Along with Kapil Sibal, this statement reflects a colonial mindset. Their frustration and disappointment are clearly visible in such remarks.”

Chugh further said, “Kapil Sibal, the country that made you a leader and a renowned advocate, is the very country you are insulting. India is the world’s largest democracy, where power changes through democratic processes, not through ‘Khela Hobe’. Here, citizens are given full freedom to express their views. This statement reflects the mindset of the Opposition. Under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, some people are running a propaganda campaign against democracy and constitutional institutions.”

Giriraj Singh Invokes 1984

Union Minister Giriraj Singh also weighed in, drawing a sharp historical contrast. “Perhaps Kapil Sibal does not remember the days when, under TMC rule, public representatives were allegedly killed and hanged from trees. Maybe Congress leaders have forgotten the time when Sikhs were massacred in the country,” Singh said.

He added, “Kapil Sibal belongs to a party that is blamed for the deaths of thousands of Sikhs. Therefore, such words would be more appropriate if directed at themselves. There is peace in the country today, but when people were abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, where were these Congress leaders then?” The reference is widely understood as an allusion to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, a recurring flashpoint in BJP-Congress exchanges.

Broader Political Context

This comes amid heightened political tensions following the reported attack on the two TMC parliamentarians, an incident that has drawn reactions across party lines. Notably, Sibal—who left the Indian National Congress (INC) in 2022—has consistently been a vocal critic of what he describes as democratic backsliding. His remarks, however, have now drawn fire not just from the ruling party but also opened a broader debate on the boundaries of political dissent and patriotic expression in India.

The episode underscores a recurring pattern in Indian politics where criticism of state conduct is quickly reframed as criticism of the nation itself—a dynamic that opposition voices and civil society observers have repeatedly flagged as a chilling effect on free speech.