Rijiju Slams Congress Over PoK, Pakistan Flags at London Event
Synopsis
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju accused Congress of displaying its flags alongside Pakistan and PoK banners at a London gathering on October 19, 2026, calling it an 'anti-India' act and asserting that India will never bow to such forces.
Key Takeaways
Kiren Rijiju , Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, accused Congress of appearing alongside Pakistan and PoK flags at a London event on October 19, 2026 .
Rijiju declared in Hindi that 'India will never bow and anti-India forces can never break India.' The charge fits a recurring BJP pattern of accusing Congress of leniency on Pakistan and Kashmir-related issues.
India's revocation of Article 370 in 2019 established its official claim over all of Jammu and Kashmir including PoK, making any PoK symbolism politically sensitive.
Congress had not issued a formal response at the time of Rijiju's post, leaving the political field open for the BJP narrative to dominate the news cycle.
Rijiju's parliamentary role means the controversy could extend from social media into formal legislative debate.
A political flashpoint erupted on Monday, October 19, 2026, when Union Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Indian National Congress of allowing its flags to be displayed alongside those of Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) at a gathering in London — a charge that landed like a thunderclap in an already charged political climate.
Rijiju posted sharply on X, writing: 'Congress party flags with the flags of Pakistan occupied Kashmir and Pakistan in London! These people think that gatherings of Anti-India gangs in London will intimidate the patriotic Indians.' He closed in Hindi: 'भारत कभी नहीं झुकेगा और भारत को भारत-विरोधी ताकतें कभी तोड़ नहीं सकतीं' — 'India will never bow and anti-India forces can never break India.'
London's Indian Diaspora as a Political Battlefield
London hosts one of the world's most prominent Indian diaspora communities, and its streets have repeatedly become a stage for political contestation that reverberates thousands of miles back home. Overseas gatherings — protests, conventions, rallies — carry outsized symbolic weight precisely because they are visible to both global audiences and domestic Indian voters simultaneously.
The BJP has consistently framed such diaspora events through the lens of national security and patriotism, arguing that opposition participation in or proximity to overseas assemblies hostile to Indian sovereignty amounts to a betrayal of the nation. Rijiju's post follows that well-worn playbook — but the specific allegation of Congress flags appearing alongside PoK flags sharpens the accusation considerably.
The Kashmir Fault Line Behind the Accusation
The reference to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir carries particular resonance. Since India's revocation of Article 370 in August 2019, New Delhi's official position is unambiguous: the entirety of Jammu and Kashmir, including areas under Pakistani administration, is an integral and inalienable part of India. Any flag or symbol associated with PoK's separatist status is therefore viewed, from that official standpoint, as a direct challenge to Indian sovereignty.
Displaying such symbols alongside an Indian party's flag — if accurate — would be politically explosive by design. Rijiju is betting that even the allegation, absent full verification, is damaging enough to force a Congress response and reinforce the BJP's core narrative: that the opposition is soft on those who seek to fragment India.
Congress Yet to Respond; Parliament Watch Begins
As of the posting of Rijiju's statement, no formal rebuttal had emerged from Congress leadership. The minister's role as head of Parliamentary Affairs means any follow-through could arrive swiftly on the floor of Parliament — turning a social media salvo into a formal legislative confrontation. The charge also hands the BJP a ready-made campaign moment: the image of an opposition party's flag beside a PoK banner is precisely the kind of visual that drives domestic political messaging.
India will never bow — and Rijiju is making sure that line echoes from London all the way to the next session of Parliament.
Point of View
The charge lands in an information environment where the allegation itself generates political capital. Congress's response — or absence of one — will determine how far this cycle travels into the parliamentary session.
NationPress
19 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Kiren Rijiju accuse Congress of in London?
Rijiju accused Congress of allowing its party flags to be displayed alongside flags of Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir at a gathering in London, calling it an 'anti-India' act.
What is Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and why does it matter to India?
Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) is the region of Kashmir administered by Pakistan that India officially claims as its own territory, a position reinforced by the revocation of Article 370 in 2019.
Has Congress responded to Rijiju's allegation about the London event?
As of the time Rijiju's post was made on October 19, 2026, no formal response had been issued by Congress leadership.
Why does BJP frequently target Congress over Pakistan-related issues?
BJP has long used accusations of Congress leniency toward Pakistan as a domestic political weapon, framing them around themes of national security and patriotism, especially during election cycles and diaspora events abroad.
What does 'Bharat kabhi nahi jhukega' mean?
The Hindi phrase means 'India will never bow' — Rijiju used it to assert that anti-India forces, including those at the London gathering, cannot intimidate or break India.
