The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sharply criticised the Congress party following a social media post by spokesperson Surendra Rajput that drew parallels between Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize recipient. Machado, a prominent figure in Venezuela's pro-democracy movement, was honoured on October 10 for her "tireless work promoting democratic rights" and efforts toward a "just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy," according to the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Rajput's X post, which juxtaposed images of Gandhi and Machado, stated in Hindi: "This year’s Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to the Leader of the Opposition in Venezuela for defending the constitution. The Leader of the Opposition in India, Shri Rahul Gandhi, is fighting the battle to save the country’s constitution." The post, which garnered over 3,400 likes and sparked widespread debate, did not constitute an official party demand but ignited accusations of overreach from BJP leaders.

Machado, 56, has emerged as a unifying force against President Nicolás Maduro's regime, which has been accused of electoral fraud in the July 2024 presidential vote and widespread human rights abuses. Barred from running for office herself, she backed candidate Edmundo González, whose victory was internationally recognised but rejected by Maduro, leading to protests and repression. Living in hiding amid death threats, Machado's award—amid 338 nominees—highlights global concerns over democratic backsliding, as noted by committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes.

U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated her, while Venezuelan officials dismissed the honour as interference. In India, Congress has positioned Gandhi's opposition role as a bulwark against perceived threats to constitutional values, including allegations of electoral manipulation and erosion of democratic institutions under the BJP-led NDA government.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla swiftly condemned the comparison as "bizarre", posting on X: "Bizarre Congress is demanding Nobel Prize for Rahul Baba He would get it if there one meant for 1) hypocrisy 2) lying 3) losing elections 99 times! 4) murdering democracy and the constitution in 1975 and 1984." Poonawalla referenced historical Congress actions, such as the 1975 Emergency under Indira Gandhi and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, to counter claims of democratic guardianship.

The remark amplified online backlash, with BJP supporters mocking Gandhi's electoral record—Congress's 99 losses in recent state polls—and accusing the party of propaganda. Congress leader Rashid Alvi defended the analogy, telling media outlets that Gandhi, like Machado, is restoring democracy in India. The exchange underscores deepening partisan divides, with opposition voices framing Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra and parliamentary interventions as akin to global resistance movements.

Also Read: Tears and Triumph: Maria Corina Machado Wakes to Nobel Peace Prize Call

This spat arrives as India navigates its own democratic discourse ahead of key state elections, including in Haryana and Maharashtra. While Machado's prize celebrates non-violent activism in authoritarian contexts, critics argue equating it to Indian politics trivialises her risks—exile, persecution, and mobilisation against a regime accused of jailing opponents and stifling media.

Congress has not retracted the post, but party insiders clarified it reflects individual sentiment rather than strategy. BJP's retort, meanwhile, reinforces its narrative of Congress as dynastic and hypocritical, potentially fuelling social media skirmishes into the weekend.

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