Congress's Gautam fires back at BJP chief Nabin over 'foreign toolkit' charge
Synopsis
BJP President Nitin Nabin accused Rahul Gandhi of being a 'foreign toolkit' for destabilisation — and Congress's UP In-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam fired back by calling Nabin a script-reader who doesn't know anything. The exchange, laced with Lord Ram offering allegations and 40-lakh-anarchy claims, signals the Congress-BJP political war heating up sharply.
Key Takeaways
Rajendra Pal Gautam , Uttar Pradesh Congress In-charge, on 7 November mocked BJP President Nitin Nabin , saying 'poor Biharis don't know anything' and calling him a mere script reader.
Nitin Nabin had accused Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi of acting as a 'foreign toolkit' to destabilise India and create anarchy.
Nabin cited an alleged Congress minister's claim that Gandhi could mobilise 40 lakh people at will to create unrest.
Gautam alleged that BJP leaders 'steal offerings' made in the name of Lord Ram and have 'betrayed people's faith.' Nabin warned that those with 'anarchic and Maoist-leaning mindsets' would face a fitting democratic response.
Uttar Pradesh Congress In-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam on Saturday, 7 November launched a stinging counter-attack on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nitin Nabin, mocking him as someone who merely reads out a script and remarking that 'poor Biharis don't know anything.' The exchange marks the latest flare-up in a widening war of words between the two parties over allegations of foreign interference and political destabilisation.
What Triggered Gautam's Remarks
Nitin Nabin had, in an earlier interview, accused Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi of acting as part of a 'foreign toolkit' designed to destabilise the country and create unrest. Nabin cited remarks attributed to a Congress minister who had allegedly claimed that Gandhi possessed complete control over a 'remote button' capable of mobilising 40 lakh people to create anarchy whenever he chose.
'You saw how a Congress Minister said that Rahul Gandhi has complete control over the remote button and that, whenever he wants, 40 lakh people are ready to create anarchy in the country,' Nabin said, adding: 'I believe this clearly confirms what we have been saying from the beginning — that Rahul Gandhi is being used as a toolkit to destabilise the country and create anarchy.'
Gautam's Counter-Attack
Gautam dismissed Nabin as incapable of independent thought. 'These poor Biharis do not know anything. They simply read out the scripts handed to them,' he said. The Congress leader — who coordinates party affairs in Uttar Pradesh — went further, alleging that BJP leaders had misused offerings made in the name of Lord Ram.
'They are incapable of doing anything on their own. They are people who steal offerings. They have betrayed people's faith. They came to power in the name of Lord Ram and then stole offerings made in his name. So, whose interests do they serve? We do not take them seriously,' Gautam said.
BJP's Position on Rahul Gandhi
Nabin also alleged that Rahul Gandhi lacked an understanding of India's democratic strength. 'Rahul Gandhi does not have a clue that our country is a lot different from other nations. The democratic roots of this nation are strong,' he said. The BJP chief warned that those with 'anarchic and Maoist-leaning mindsets' would receive a 'fitting response' from the country's democratic institutions.
'If people with such nefarious mindsets, or those who have become instruments of foreign toolkits, think that they can destabilise India or spread chaos, they are mistaken,' Nabin added.
Context and What to Watch
The exchange reflects an escalating pattern of mutual accusations between the BJP and Congress ahead of key political contests. The 'foreign toolkit' charge has been a recurring BJP line against opposition leaders, while Congress has increasingly pushed back with allegations of institutional misuse and religious hypocrisy. Neither party has yet offered verifiable evidence for the more serious allegations in this latest round. How Rahul Gandhi and senior Congress leadership formally respond to the toolkit charge is likely to shape the next phase of this political back-and-forth.
Point of View
But deploying it through the party president — rather than a frontline minister — suggests the party is testing its potency at a new level. Gautam's 'poor Biharis' quip is a double-edged riposte: it may have landed as a sharp political jab, but it also risks being read as regionally dismissive, which Congress can ill afford in a Bihar-sensitive electoral environment. Neither side has produced evidence for the most explosive claims made here. What this exchange really signals is that both parties are priming their bases for a confrontation that goes well beyond this news cycle.
NationPress
7 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Rajendra Pal Gautam say about BJP's Nitin Nabin?
Gautam dismissed Nabin as someone who merely reads out scripts, saying 'these poor Biharis do not know anything.' He also alleged that BJP leaders 'steal offerings' made in the name of Lord Ram and have betrayed public trust.
What was Nitin Nabin's allegation against Rahul Gandhi?
BJP President Nitin Nabin accused Rahul Gandhi of acting as an instrument of a 'foreign toolkit' aimed at destabilising India. He cited a reported Congress minister's claim that Gandhi could mobilise 40 lakh people to create anarchy, saying it confirmed the BJP's long-held position.
What is the 'foreign toolkit' charge the BJP has raised?
The 'foreign toolkit' allegation, as used by BJP leaders including Nabin, refers to the claim that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party are allegedly acting in coordination with foreign interests to create political instability and unrest in India. Congress has denied these allegations.
What was the Congress allegation about Lord Ram offerings?
Gautam alleged, without providing specific documentary evidence, that BJP leaders came to power in the name of Lord Ram but subsequently misappropriated offerings made in his name. He used this to argue that BJP leaders betray those who vest faith in them.
