Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Kewal Singh Dhillon on Tuesday, 11 August launched a sharp attack on Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener Arvind Kejriwal, accusing both of exploiting public grievances for political gain while avoiding substantive debate in Parliament.

The Parliamentary Conduct Charge

Dhillon argued that with Parliament currently in session, Gandhi's choice to stage protests outside the House rather than engage within it amounted to a deliberate evasion of accountability. 'Disrupting parliamentary proceedings and wasting public money and valuable time reflects the irresponsible politics of the Congress,' Dhillon told reporters in Chandigarh.

He pointed to a specific instance on Monday, when Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju publicly stated that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was prepared to answer every question on every issue on the floor of the House. Despite this assurance, Dhillon said, the Congress chose to walk out rather than participate in the debate — a move he described as evidence that the party is 'not interested in resolving issues but only in creating political drama.'

Ranchi Student Protests: The Silence Question

Dhillon also raised the issue of police action against students during a protest in Ranchi, Jharkhand, describing reports of barbed wire, tear gas, water cannons, and cane-charges deployed against peacefully demonstrating students as 'extremely worrying.' He questioned why neither Gandhi nor Kejriwal had spoken out on the incident, noting that Jharkhand is governed by a coalition that includes the Congress.

He argued that championing students' rights selectively — only when a political opponent is in power — exemplified what he called double standards in Indian politics. This comes amid a broader national conversation about student unrest and government responses to youth-led demonstrations.

AAP Government in Punjab Under Fire

Turning to the AAP government in Punjab, Dhillon alleged that the administration routinely responds with force whenever youth, employees, farmers, labourers, or teachers take to the streets to assert their rights. He also flagged recurring paper leaks in Punjab as a serious concern, arguing that the incidents had cast doubt over the fairness of the government recruitment process and the future prospects of the state's youth.

Broader Context

The BJP's broadside against both Gandhi and Kejriwal reflects an intensifying political rivalry ahead of upcoming electoral cycles. Notably, targeting two opposition leaders simultaneously — one at the national level and one at the state level — signals the party's strategy of consolidating its messaging against a fragmented opposition. Critics of the BJP, however, argue that such press conferences are themselves a form of political theatre, designed to deflect scrutiny from the ruling party's own governance record.

All eyes will be on whether the Congress and AAP respond formally, and whether the Ranchi student protest issue gains further traction in Parliament in the coming days.