Rahul Gandhi has crossed a line that no responsible parliamentarian should dare touch. By alleging caste discrimination within the Indian Armed Forces, the Leader of the Opposition has launched a reckless attack on the most sacred institution of this nation — an institution that embodies unity, courage, and patriotism beyond caste, creed or religion. In uniform, there is only one identity: India. To weaponize caste against the very men and women who risk their lives for 1.4 billion citizens is not only reprehensible, it reveals a dangerous political desperation that threatens national security. Rahul Gandhi’s political strategies have become repetitive: provoke respected institutions like the Election Commission, Judiciary, Enforcement Directorate — and now the Armed Forces — in the hope that punitive action will follow. He wants to turn himself into a martyr, force an arrest, and engineer a sympathy wave that might revive his imploding party. The motive is loud and clear: if Congress cannot earn respect through vision and leadership, it will try to harvest the politics of victimhood through confrontation and chaos. This is not accidental rhetoric. It is a choreographed narrative launched before crucial elections. Bihar, a state that sends a massive share of its youth into the Army, is going to the polls soon. Families with sons in the uniform take pride in the fact that the Army rises above all divisions. Injecting caste poison here is a cynical attempt to fracture trust, create resentment and convert patriotism into protest. All this just because Operation Sindoor and other recent military successes have strengthened public confidence in the ruling government and its defence policies.
The irony is striking. At a time when India’s military strength is gaining international recognition and its home-grown defence technology is finding global buyers, Rahul Gandhi attempts to paint the uniform as a battleground of caste. The world has just watched Indonesia sign up for the Akash missile system. Armenia has already joined the growing list of nations acquiring India’s supersonic BrahMos missiles, manufactured with pride and technological mastery. Nations are trusting India with defence supplies, treating our armed forces as a model of discipline and capability. Yet, back home, the Leader of the Opposition tries to delegitimise the very institution that has placed India firmly on the global defence map. Is this thoughtless irresponsibility or a political strategy gone rogue? Many even wonder if the BJP is letting Rahul Gandhi run free because his statements damage only his own party and reinforce the government’s narrative. The ruling party may well see him as its greatest electoral asset — someone who ensures Congress continues to be out of touch, out of ideas, and out of public favour. When the opposition leader mocks national institutions in foreign universities and global think-tanks, who gains politically back home? There is a belief among analysts that the BJP’s silence on Rahul’s provocations is calculated — his misfires keep the Congress permanently weak. But this time the gamble is far too dangerous. Targeting the military for political mileage is playing with the soul of the nation. The Indian Army has never asked a soldier his caste before sending him to the front line. The Navy does not check a sailor’s community before deploying him to safeguard maritime security. The Air Force does not look for caste certificates before a pilot takes off to defend our skies. To allow political propaganda to corrode this ethos is to weaken the very shield that protects our democracy. India is witnessing its rise in global standing. Defence exports are growing. Our forces are modernising. The courage of our soldiers remains unquestioned. And in this moment of collective pride, Rahul Gandhi’s divisive narrative stands isolated, irresponsible and dangerous. Political defeat can always be repaired. But once trust in the Armed Forces is shaken, the damage becomes irrevocable. India deserves better from its opposition. And the Armed Forces deserve absolute respect — not reckless political provocation.
