BJP slams Rahul Gandhi over ‘magician of Balakot, demonetisation’ jibe at PM Modi

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi triggered a row in the Lok Sabha on Friday when he took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him the “magician of Balakot, demonetisation, and Operation Sindoor,” prompting sharp protests from BJP members.

The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha was speaking during the special Parliament session when he used the swipe to criticise the government’s handling of the 2019 Balakot airstrikes on Jaish-e-Mohammed camps, the 2016 demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, and last year’s cross-border strikes on terror camps under Operation Sindoor.

Without naming the PM, Rahul said, “The truth is, the magician has been caught—the magician of Balakot, of demonetisation, of Sindoor has finally been exposed.”

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BJP lashes out at Rahul Gandhi, condemns his remark

Rahul Gandhi’s comments drew a vociferous response from BJP MPs, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accusing him of using inappropriate language against the PM and insulting the armed forces by referring to the Balakot strikes and Operation Sindoor.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stood up to condemn Rahul’s “magician” remark and accused the Congress leader of undermining national sentiment and disrespecting the sacrifices of the armed forces.

He called Rahul Gandhi’s choice of words for PM Modi “highly objectionable” and urged Speaker Om Birla to have the remarks expunged. Speaker Om Birla said such language would not be allowed in the House and told Gandhi to remain focused on the subject under discussion.

Rahul countered by saying the BJP was trying to identify itself with the nation and the armed forces.

“You (BJP) are not the people of India, you are not the armed forces, you are a political organisation. We are not attacking the people of India, we are not attacking the armed forces, we are attacking you. You are hiding behind the armed forces,” he said.

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‘Proposed amendments panic reaction of BJP’: Rahul

Speaking during the debate on proposed amendments to the women’s reservation law and the formation of a delimitation commission, Rahul Gandhi termed the move a “panic reaction,” alleging the BJP was fully aware the bills would not pass in the Lower House.

“They knew very clearly this bill cannot be passed. They are not stupid. They knew every opposition member would oppose it. This was a panic reaction,” he said.

Rahul said the move aimed to achieve two objectives, “First, to alter the electoral map of India. Second, to project the Prime Minister as pro-women.”

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‘Bills aimed at redrawing India’s electoral balance, not empowering women’

Rahul also alleged that the bills were aimed at redrawing India’s electoral balance rather than empowering women.

He said the government was using women’s reservation as a cover to pursue political objectives and retain power. He also accused the Centre of attempting to weaken the political voice of OBCs and Dalits through constituency restructuring.

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“You are scared of what is happening in the politics of the country, you are scared of the erosion of your strength, and you are trying to rejig the Indian political map. You did it in Assam, J&K, and now imagining you can do it in India. You need a constitutional amendment to do that.”

The debate was being held after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, aimed at modifying provisions of the women’s reservation law, was introduced in the Lok Sabha.

Two other legislations—the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill—were also tabled.