Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Sunday, 24 May launched a multi-front attack on the Indian National Congress and the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), accusing Congress of abandoning Gandhian values and the TMC of having systematically marginalised Hindus during its tenure in West Bengal.

Congress Branded a 'Party of Abuses'

Poonawalla's sharpest remarks were directed at Congress, framed around the First Information Report (FIR) registered against Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai over allegedly abusive language targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 'Congress has become a party of abuses instead of Gandhian values,' Poonawalla said.

He linked the episode to Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's recent use of the word 'traitor' in reference to the Prime Minister, arguing that the pattern reflected a broader culture within the party. 'It is being said that Congress has used more than 150 offensive words against the Prime Minister because he comes from the OBC community and poor background, and that is why he is being targeted,' Poonawalla alleged. Rai had reportedly attributed the remarks to artificial intelligence or a technical error, a claim Poonawalla dismissed, pointing to what he described as a consistent record.

TMC Accused of Anti-Hindu Bias in West Bengal

Reacting to the West Bengal government's recent revision of the Bakrid holiday schedule, Poonawalla accused the previous TMC-led administration of sustained appeasement politics at the expense of the Hindu community. 'Section 144 was imposed during Hindu festivals, processions were not allowed, and holidays were cancelled,' he claimed, while alleging that the TMC had simultaneously declared multiple holidays for Muslim community festivals.

He credited the current BJP dispensation in the state — led, according to him, by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari — with reversing those policies. Poonawalla highlighted that 'Vande Mataram' has reportedly been made compulsory in madrasas and schools in the state, and that action is being taken against alleged infiltrators. It is worth noting that Mamata Banerjee continues to lead the West Bengal government; Poonawalla's reference to Adhikari as Chief Minister appears to conflate the BJP's political aspirations with the present ground reality.

Cracks in the INDIA Bloc Alliance

Poonawalla also seized on reported friction between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress within the INDIA bloc opposition alliance. He cited SP chief Akhilesh Yadav's earlier statement that his party would contest all 403 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, and a subsequent remark suggesting Congress would receive limited space in the alliance. Congress leader Imran Masood reportedly pushed back, asserting that Rahul Gandhi remained the alliance's real leader — a comment Poonawalla characterised as a direct challenge to Yadav.

'The INDIA bloc alliance is driven by commission, corruption, ambition, and division for positions. Congress has betrayed DMK, Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena-UBT, RJD, and JMM, which is why Akhilesh Yadav has become cautious,' Poonawalla alleged. The BJP leader argued that the alliance lacks a coherent goal or vision, a charge the opposition parties have not yet formally responded to.

Context and What to Watch

The remarks come at a politically charged moment, with the INDIA bloc navigating seat-sharing tensions ahead of upcoming state elections. The FIR against Ajay Rai and the language debate around Rahul Gandhi's public statements have provided the BJP with fresh ammunition on the narrative front. How Congress and its allies respond — particularly on the West Bengal Hindu rights framing — will shape the next cycle of political messaging.