‘Unparliamentary language’: Rahul Gandhi sparks uproar in Lok Sabha over ‘idiot’ remark

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday (Jul 29) triggered chaos in the Lok Sabha after using the word “idiot” during his speech in support of the nationwide student protests over the NEET paper leak. This came after the discussion on the Anti Paper Leak Bill 2026 resumed. Gandhi said that he had a conversation with an 18-year-old student who classified people into three categories: “students”, “idiots” and “andhbhakts” (blind supporters).

Defending the students’ protest, Gandhi said, “I was very excited, reassured by what the future of this country did on our streets. This was not anger, not violence, not hatred. This was a deep expression of the youth of this country, of the future generation of this country, and I feel that all political parties must respect this expression, including my friends in the BJP. I am pretty certain that if my friends in the BJP were to go and ask their own children what they felt about what their brothers and sisters were doing, they would find agreement among their own children. There is nothing wrong with what has happened, and every Indian should be proud.”

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Recalling a conversation with a student, the Congress leader said, “She said the student wears the truth on his/her chest proudly. I said, what about the other type? She said the other type requires an image. It requires an image, and as the image is not true because the idiot is trying to pretend that he is God, he has to create this massive image. I asked her a question: where does the third category go? That of ‘Andhbhakt’. She said, ‘Andhbhakt’ is a person who is absolutely convinced that another idiot is God...”

‘Unparliamentary language’

Gandhi was interrupted by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who accused Gandhi of using a student to use “unparliamentary language” in the Lok Sabha.

“Had Rahul Gandhi not used an unparliamentary word, nobody would have objected. I believe that he is using a word in the name of a student, but it is he who is using it...He cannot use an unparliamentary word; it should be expunged,” Rijiju said.

As chaos erupted in the Parliament, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, “I humbly request that the unparliamentary word used by the LoP be expunged and I urge to everyone on my side to maintain silence and listen to him.”