New Delhi, 19 July — Leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Sunday launched a sharp counterattack on Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, asserting that if Gandhi was genuinely concerned about climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, he could have cut short his foreign trip to visit the agitator rather than waiting until his return.

Background: What Triggered the Row

The political exchange erupted a day after Gandhi, in a post on X, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre of 'Asatya (lies) and Hinsa (violence)' in connection with Wangchuk's hospitalisation. Wangchuk's health had deteriorated after 20 days of hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. He was subsequently moved to a hospital, a step the government attributed to both his health condition and directions from the High Court.

What NDA Leaders Said

Union Minister Giriraj Singh took aim at Gandhi's political lineage, saying: 'The entire country and the world knows that Rahul Gandhi believes in dynastic politics. He is a symbol of dynastic politics. He thinks that no one outside the Nehru family has the right to do politics.' Singh further alleged that Gandhi 'speaks against India and abuses the country as well as the Prime Minister during his foreign visits.'

BJP national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain was more pointed on the Wangchuk question: 'Sonam Wangchuk was at Jantar Mantar, and Rahul Gandhi was in Europe. When Wangchuk was on hunger strike, Rahul Gandhi could have cut short his Europe visit to meet him. He did not even go to meet him. Even after returning, he went to Uttarakhand and is now covering up because people are asking why he did not go.'

Hussain also maintained that Wangchuk's transfer to hospital was a welfare measure: 'He has been admitted to the hospital because the government is concerned about his health.'

Janata Dal (United) MLA Shyam Rajak broadened the attack to Congress's historical record, invoking 1974 and Operation Blue Star in Punjab as examples of what he called the party's authoritarian tendencies. 'These are the people who stayed in power through violence... Now they are accusing those who believe in Mahatma Gandhi and those who are working through non-violent means of promoting violence,' he said. Rajak also alleged that Congress 'even considers authoritarianism to be democracy.'

Congress Pushes Back

Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput defended Gandhi's remarks, framing the issue around student grievances rather than political point-scoring. 'The Congress, Rahul Gandhi and Sonam Wangchuk are all fighting for them (students). Removing Sonam Wangchuk forcefully is against democracy and against the democratic spirit,' Rajput said.

He also linked the Wangchuk episode to the NEET paper leak controversy, challenging the BJP to 'speak to him (Wangchuk) and seek the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over NEET paper leak' if the ruling party was genuinely sympathetic to the activist.

What Happens Next

The standoff over Wangchuk's hunger strike and hospitalisation has drawn political lines sharply ahead of what is expected to be a combative monsoon session. With the opposition tying the Wangchuk issue to NEET and broader accountability demands, and the NDA framing Gandhi's response as opportunistic, the episode is likely to spill into parliamentary proceedings.