Sonia Gandhi, the 82-year-old Italian-born matriarch of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, has once again displayed the Congress party’s deeply ingrained elitism and disregard for India’s diverse fabric. Her uncharitable and uncharacteristic remarks against none other than the President of India, Draupadi Murmu, calling her ‘bechari’ (poor), ‘boring,’ and ‘tired,’ have ignited a firestorm of political debate. The fact that such remarks were directed at India’s first tribal woman President only exacerbates the issue, exposing the Congress leadership’s long-standing condescension toward marginalized communities.
The ruling BJP has been quick to seize upon Sonia Gandhi’s comments, calling them elitist and a testament to the Congress party’s arrogance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his characteristic sharp rebuttal, tore into the Congress leader, describing her words as reflective of a mindset that has for decades thrived on entitlement and condescension. He questioned how a party that claims to champion social justice and inclusion could so openly belittle a tribal woman who has ascended to the highest constitutional office in the land.
But the real question is: Why are Congress’s Hindu members silent? Why do they continue to tolerate the party’s blatant disregard for Hindu identity and its repeated insults to India’s institutions and traditions?
Sonia Gandhi’s remarks are not an isolated incident. Over the years, Congress leaders have repeatedly demeaned institutions, insulted Hindu sentiments, and displayed a colonial hangover of entitlement. While other prominent figures like Sharad Pawar and former Lok Sabha Speaker late P A Sagma have already distanced themselves in the past from the Gandhi family, what stops the Hindus within Congress from breaking their silence? Are they so beholden to the dynasty that they refuse to call out such behaviour?
There is a growing sentiment that the Gandhis have become more of a liability to India than an asset. Once the grand old party of India, the Congress now appears to be a relic of the past, weighed down by its dynastic politics and its refusal to introspect. The question arises: Should the uncharitable and elitist remarks by Sonia Gandhi be the final tipping point for Hindu leaders in the party? Shouldn’t they finally stand up and challenge the leadership rather than continuing to act as mere foot soldiers of a dynasty that has little regard for their faith and values?
This is not the first time the Congress party has shown its disdain for Hindus and their beliefs. Former Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde’s infamous ‘Hindu terror’ remarks, the UPA government’s attempt to dismiss Lord Ram as a myth in the Ram Setu affidavit, and the party’s reluctance to embrace the cultural renaissance witnessed under the BJP all point to a larger pattern of alienation.
Congress’s Hindu leaders, many of whom come from strong cultural and religious backgrounds, find themselves caught in a party that refuses to acknowledge the shifting ground realities. Instead of taking pride in their faith and standing up for it, they remain shackled by the compulsions of dynasty politics. The Hindus in Congress must ask themselves: For how long will they remain complicit in a party that continuously undermines their identity?
Sharad Pawar, despite his ideological leanings, knew when to walk away from the Congress to carve his own political path. If non-Hindu leaders have dared to break ranks, why haven’t Congress’s Hindu leaders done the same?
Does the fear of political isolation keep them from speaking out? Or is it the lack of leadership beyond the Gandhis that prevents them from taking a stand? Whatever the reason, their continued silence is nothing short of an endorsement of the Congress’s elitist and dismissive attitude towards Hindu identity and national pride.
The hard truth is that the Congress party, in its current form, is struggling to stay relevant. The Nehru-Gandhi family is no longer an electoral magnet, and their brand of dynastic entitlement no longer appeals to the masses. The recent debacle of the party in multiple state elections has only reinforced this reality.
So, what next for the Congress’s Hindu leaders? Will they continue to remain subservient to a leadership that has failed time and again, or will they finally take ownership of their faith and their political future? If they wish to salvage whatever credibility the party has left, they must take a decisive stand.
Walking away from the Congress may not be easy, but neither is remaining in a party that continuously disrespects the very foundations of India’s cultural ethos. The time has come for Hindus in Congress to reclaim their pride. They must ask themselves: Are they merely followers of a fading dynasty, or do they have the conviction to forge their own path?
Sonia Gandhi’s latest remarks should serve as a wake-up call. If the Hindus within the Congress party refuse to act now, they risk becoming mere relics of a party that has long lost its way. The choice is theirs to make, but history will judge them on the side they choose to stand on.
