BJP hits back at Sonia Gandhi, says worry about Congress decline not democracy
Synopsis
Sonia Gandhi told The Hindu that 12 years of BJP rule had damaged India's democracy and institutions — and the BJP's rebuttal was swift and pointed. Rather than engaging with her institutional concerns, multiple Union Ministers and party leaders questioned her nationality, her son's political ambitions, and Congress's own democratic record, including the Emergency. The exchange signals the opposition-ruling-party dynamic heading into the next electoral stretch.
Key Takeaways
Sonia Gandhi told The Hindu that 'great damage' had been done to India's democracy and institutions over the last 12 years .
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said India had reached the fourth position globally in economic terms and was witnessing significant development.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh accused Gandhi of promoting son Rahul Gandhi rather than genuinely defending democracy, and said she should 'publicly atone' to the people of India.
BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal cited the Emergency as evidence that Congress, not BJP, had harmed Indian democracy.
Madhya Pradesh Minister Vishwas Sarang and BJP leader Mrityunjay Tiwari both questioned Gandhi's political ambitions and suggested she 'take rest.'
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders on Saturday, 7 November 2026 mounted a sharp counter-attack against Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi after she criticised the Central government in an interview with a national English daily, asserting that India has made significant strides under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has risen in stature on the global stage.
What Sonia Gandhi Said
In an interview with The Hindu, Sonia Gandhi, 79, stated: 'Over the last twelve years great damage has been done to the fabric of our country, our democracy and our institutions. Even after this government goes it will take time to restore our systems back to health, and great effort from political parties.' She added, 'People are now beginning to be restless and recognising the damage. But I am optimistic and I know that the people of India will welcome a return to proper governance.'
Ministers Fire Back
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said Gandhi was entitled to her views but maintained that the country was on a path of progress. 'The entire world is watching as India's economy has reached the fourth position globally and the country is witnessing significant development. India has made tremendous progress across various sectors. We have given strong support to the Make in India initiative, and a large volume of goods is being exported, which is also creating employment opportunities,' he said.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh questioned the Congress leader's motivations, accusing her of prioritising her son Rahul Gandhi's political rise over genuine democratic concerns. 'I feel very saddened when Sonia Gandhi talks about democracy. Is she talking about democracy or about launching her son? Sonia Gandhi should first worry about the fact that Congress has not returned to power in many states for four decades,' Singh said, adding that she should 'publicly atone and apologise to the people of India.'
Madhya Pradesh Minister Vishwas Sarang questioned Gandhi's political ambitions: 'It is true that Sonia Gandhi's ambition to become the Prime Minister of this country was not fulfilled. The BJP government, under Narendra Modi, has established development and welfare in the country,' he said.
BJP MPs and State Leaders Pile On
BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal invoked the Emergency to challenge Gandhi's democratic credentials. 'The Congress is the party that strangled democracy in the country by imposing the Emergency. For nearly six decades, the Congress ruled the country, but India remained largely out of sight and appeared timid. However, over the past 12 years, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country has made progress on all fronts,' he said.
Bihar Minister Pramod Kumar Chandravanshi questioned Gandhi's understanding of Indian cultural traditions, asserting that the BJP had done the most to preserve the country's heritage. BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said the rule of law had prevailed under the current government, adding: 'Sonia Gandhi has pointed one finger at the BJP, but four fingers are pointing back at her.' BJP leader Mrityunjay Tiwari urged Gandhi to 'take rest', saying her reported ambition to see her son become Prime Minister 'is never going to be fulfilled.'
The Broader Political Context
This comes amid an extended period of organisational decline for the Indian National Congress (INC), which has been out of power at the Centre since 2014 and has struggled to regain footing in key states. Gandhi's remarks to The Hindu represent one of her more direct recent interventions on the state of Indian democracy, touching on institutional health and governance — themes the opposition has sought to amplify ahead of upcoming electoral cycles. Notably, the BJP's response focused less on rebutting specific institutional concerns and more on questioning Gandhi's nationality, political lineage, and party record — a pattern consistent with the ruling party's approach to high-profile Congress criticism. How the Congress responds to this volley is likely to shape the week's political news cycle.
Point of View
Her family's ambitions, and Congress's historical record. That deflection is itself a data point: when the ruling party's loudest counter to institutional criticism is a personal attack, it suggests the substance of the critique is not easily dismissed on the merits. Meanwhile, Gandhi's intervention, rare in its directness, is timed carefully — keeping the opposition's democratic-accountability narrative alive ahead of the next round of state elections.
NationPress
7 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Sonia Gandhi say about Indian democracy in The Hindu interview?
Sonia Gandhi said that 'over the last twelve years great damage has been done to the fabric of our country, our democracy and our institutions,' adding that it would take time and effort to restore systems even after the current government leaves office. She also expressed optimism that Indians would 'welcome a return to proper governance.'
How did BJP leaders respond to Sonia Gandhi's remarks?
Multiple BJP ministers and leaders dismissed her criticism, citing India's rise to the fourth position globally by economic size, the Emergency imposed by Congress, and what they described as Congress's decades-long absence from power in many states. Several also questioned her motivations, suggesting she was focused on her son Rahul Gandhi's political career rather than genuine democratic concerns.
What did Union Minister Giriraj Singh say about Sonia Gandhi?
Giriraj Singh accused Gandhi of conflating democratic concerns with the goal of launching her son Rahul Gandhi politically. He said she should 'publicly atone and apologise to the people of India' and noted that Congress had not returned to power in many states for four decades.
Why did BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal mention the Emergency?
Khandelwal cited the Emergency — a period in the 1970s when civil liberties were suspended under a Congress government — to argue that it was Congress, not BJP, that had historically 'strangled democracy' in India. He used it to challenge Gandhi's standing to speak on democratic values.
What is the broader political significance of this exchange?
The exchange reflects the ongoing battle over the democratic-accountability narrative between the ruling BJP and the Congress-led opposition. Gandhi's interview is one of her most direct recent public interventions, and the BJP's coordinated response — involving multiple Union Ministers and state leaders — signals how seriously the ruling party views the opposition's attempt to frame governance as a democratic rollback ahead of future elections.
