BJP's Trivedi attacks Sonia Gandhi over Batla House, Babri remarks
Synopsis
BJP's Sudhanshu Trivedi didn't just attack the Congress — he assembled a multi-front charge: alleged tears for Batla House accused, silence on Kashmiri Hindu displacement, a generational shift from Ram to Babur, and now quietude on sexual exploitation allegations against one of its own. It is a sweeping indictment designed to frame the Congress as ideologically adrift ahead of key electoral battles.
Key Takeaways
BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi attacked Sonia Gandhi at a press conference in New Delhi on 7 November .
Trivedi alleged Sonia Gandhi showed sympathy for Batla House accused but not for security forces who lost their lives.
He questioned the source of footage that reportedly moved Sonia Gandhi to tears over the December 6, 1992 Ayodhya events.
Trivedi contrasted Rajiv Gandhi's 1989 Ayodhya campaign in the name of Lord Ram with what he called today's Congress focus on Babri Masjid, Batla House, and Gaza.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Sonia Gandhi were called out for silence on sexual exploitation allegations against Harak Singh Rawat and demands for a CBI probe.
The Congress had not issued a public response at the time of this report.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi on Saturday, 7 November launched a sharp attack on the Indian National Congress at a press conference in New Delhi, accusing the party of double standards on national security, religious identity, and women's rights. Trivedi's remarks targeted Congress president Sonia Gandhi specifically, alleging selective sympathy on issues ranging from the Batla House encounter to the December 6, 1992 events at Ayodhya.
The Batla House and 1992 Allegations
Trivedi alleged that Sonia Gandhi had shed tears over the events of December 6, 1992, but had shown no comparable emotion toward security personnel killed in the line of duty or innocent civilians affected by terror. He pointedly questioned the source of footage she had reportedly watched, arguing that Indian television channels were not broadcasting the demolition live throughout the day and demanding she clarify which channel and when.
On the Batla House encounter, Trivedi alleged that Sonia Gandhi had expressed sympathy for the accused while remaining silent about the security forces who lost their lives. He also questioned the Congress's response to the displacement of Kashmiri Hindus in 1990, post-1992 riots, and alleged atrocities against Hindus and temples in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Invoking the Nehru-Gandhi Legacy
Trivedi invoked what he described as the political legacy of the Nehru-Gandhi family, claiming three generations of Congress leadership had visited Babur's tomb. He drew a pointed contrast with former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's 1989 election campaign, which he said began from Ayodhya with an invocation of Lord Ram.
'In 1989, Rajiv Gandhi launched his election campaign from Ayodhya in the name of Lord Ram. However, today, Sonia Gandhi's politics revolves around issues such as the Babri Masjid, Batla House and Gaza,' Trivedi said. He questioned why a party that once invoked Mahatma Gandhi's vision of Ram Rajya was now, in his words, aligning itself with Babur's legacy.
Congress Silence on Harak Singh Rawat Allegations
Trivedi also raised what he described as the Congress leadership's conspicuous silence on serious allegations of sexual exploitation levelled against senior Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat. He specifically called out Priyanka Gandhi Vadra — who had campaigned under the slogan 'Ladki Hoon, Lad Sakti Hoon' — and Sonia Gandhi for not publicly addressing demands for a CBI investigation and DNA testing.
'The Congress leadership's silence on the question of ensuring justice for the woman is extremely distressing and painful. It is a silence that rings in one's ears like an ear-shattering noise,' Trivedi said.
BJP's Broader Charge of Appeasement
Trivedi maintained that the Congress's contrasting positions across these issues exposed what he characterised as deep ideological contradictions within the party. He accused Congress of abandoning the ideals of both Lord Ram and Mahatma Gandhi in favour of what he termed appeasement politics. The BJP has in recent months intensified its efforts to frame the Congress as soft on national security and inconsistent on women's rights ahead of upcoming electoral contests.
The Congress had not issued a public response to Trivedi's allegations at the time of this report.
Point of View
1992, Kashmiri Hindus, and Harak Singh Rawat into a single narrative of Congress double standards. The Harak Singh Rawat angle is the sharpest edge: it turns the Congress's own women's-rights rhetoric against it, and the silence from Priyanka Gandhi Vadra — the face of that campaign — is a vulnerability the BJP will keep pressing. The 1989 Rajiv Gandhi contrast is a recurring BJP device, but it lands differently when aimed at a party still defining itself post-2024. Whether the Congress responds substantively or stonewalls will itself become part of the story.
NationPress
7 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did BJP's Sudhanshu Trivedi say about Sonia Gandhi?
Trivedi alleged that Sonia Gandhi shed tears over the December 6, 1992 Ayodhya events and expressed sympathy for the Batla House encounter accused, but showed no comparable concern for security personnel killed in the line of duty or for displaced Kashmiri Hindus. He made these remarks at a press conference in New Delhi on 7 November.
What is the Batla House encounter controversy the BJP raised?
The Batla House encounter of 2008 involved Delhi Police officers and alleged terror suspects in Jamia Nagar; an inspector died in the operation. The BJP has long alleged that Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, expressed sympathy for the accused rather than the fallen officer. Trivedi revived this charge to argue Congress has a pattern of misplaced priorities on national security.
Why did Trivedi raise Harak Singh Rawat's name at the press conference?
Trivedi questioned why Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra — who had publicly championed women's rights — had not spoken out on serious allegations of sexual exploitation against senior Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat, nor backed demands for a CBI probe and DNA testing. He argued their silence contradicted their stated commitment to women's safety.
How did Trivedi use Rajiv Gandhi's 1989 campaign against the Congress?
Trivedi noted that Rajiv Gandhi launched his 1989 election campaign from Ayodhya invoking Lord Ram, contrasting this with what he characterised as the present Congress leadership's focus on the Babri Masjid, Batla House, and Gaza. He used the contrast to argue the party had drifted from its own historical positioning.
Has the Congress responded to BJP's allegations?
The Congress had not issued a public response to Trivedi's allegations at the time of this report. The absence of a rebuttal was itself noted by the BJP as corroboration of its charges.
