The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of deflecting blame for his party’s repeated election defeats. The remarks came in response to Gandhi’s statements during a two-day visit to Gujarat, where he suggested that some Congress leaders and workers were secretly aiding the BJP and warned of strict action, including removals.

BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi criticized Gandhi, stating, “The most unsuccessful leader of the Congress in its 140-year history was holding a meeting of party workers in Gujarat to teach them the core mantra of success.” He argued that Gandhi’s leadership, alongside his mother Sonia Gandhi, has worsened the Congress’ fortunes, adding, “After constantly putting blame on constitutional institutions, government, and media, he has started blaming his own people.”

Fellow BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took a sharper jab, saying, “Rahul Gandhi has trolled himself and his party in Gujarat… He said more than half of his party leaders were in cahoots with the BJP while he got his party defeated in more than 90 elections. In this sense, he is the biggest asset of the BJP.” Poonawalla questioned Gandhi’s metaphors of “race ka ghoda” (racehorse) and “barati ka ghoda” (procession horse) for party workers, asking, “Was it a question on the leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge?”

Trivedi further alleged that Congress has strayed from the ideals of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Mahatma Gandhi, embracing instead the legacy of Mohammad Ali Jinnah. He pointed to the Karnataka budget as evidence of Congress adopting a “well-thought-out” strategy akin to the pre-partition Muslim League. The BJP urged Gandhi to introspect on his own failures rather than humiliating his party workers or targeting veteran leaders like Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.