New Delhi: On Monday, the Lok Sabha witnessed a fiery speech by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over various issues, including the Agnipath Scheme and the NEET-UG paper leak. During his speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi intervened twice when Gandhi accused BJP leaders of dividing people along communal lines. Modi criticized Gandhi for allegedly calling the entire Hindu community violent.

Following the speech, Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw, Kiren Rijiju, and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi held a press conference to rebut Gandhi’s claims. They accused him of making “untruthful” statements and denigrating the position of the Leader of Opposition with his “irresponsible” speech.

Gandhi’s remarks were made during the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address to a joint sitting of Parliament. In his speech, Gandhi argued that BJP leaders are not true Hindus as they engage in “violence and hate.” Modi countered by stating that Gandhi had called the entire Hindu community violent.

During his debut speech as Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi highlighted the teachings of various religions, emphasizing that courage is a universal virtue. He referenced figures like Lord Shiva, Guru Nanak, and Jesus Christ to underline the importance of fearlessness and non-violence.

The BJP responded strongly to Gandhi’s speech. Modi emphasized the seriousness of Gandhi’s remarks, while Home Minister Amit Shah demanded an apology from Gandhi, accusing him of hurting the sentiments of Hindus. BJP President JP Nadda and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also criticized Gandhi, accusing him of harboring “Hindu hatred” and disparaging the Indian Army.

Regarding the Agnipath Scheme, Gandhi claimed the government treats Agniveers as “use-and-throw labourers” without giving them the status of martyrs. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh rebutted this, stating that the scheme was developed with input from 158 organizations and that Agniveers who die in service receive ₹1 crore in compensation. He requested that Gandhi’s remarks on the scheme be expunged from the records.