Show summary Hide summary
At an award ceremony in Jaipur on Sunday, former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot accused the BJP of turning religion into a political instrument and of weakening democratic safeguards by pressuring institutions and using investigative agencies against opponents. He framed these moves as a challenge to equal citizenship and warned they could disproportionately harm poorer citizens.
What Gehlot said and why it matters
Gehlot, a senior Congress figure, told the audience that the Constitution guarantees equal treatment for all faiths and that politics based on religion has no place in India’s democratic framework. He said that if Indira Gandhi were leading the country today, she would have acted against a party that organized on religious lines.
Shah Rukh Khan used the name Abinav to ease in-law worries: Gauri adopted Ayesha during nikaah
Javed Akhtar hails Hindu festivals as cultural glue: throwback of atheist celebrating resurfaces
He also levelled specific allegations that the ruling party had drifted from constitutional norms by mobilising support under the banner of Hindutva, selectively invoking national leaders’ legacies for political ends and marginalising Muslim voices within its parliamentary ranks.
- Institutional pressure: Gehlot accused the Election Commission and the judiciary of operating under political strain and suggested those bodies were failing to function independently.
- Use of central agencies: He claimed bodies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Income Tax Department were being deployed against political rivals.
- Ideological concerns: He described the policies and outlook of the BJP and its ideological mentor, the RSS, as harmful to plural democratic practice.
- Party politics: Gehlot urged regional parties to consolidate support behind Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, framing national politics as a direct contest with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On governance at the state level, Gehlot criticised the BJP government in Rajasthan for what he described as declining public services, alleging widespread problems with water and electricity supply and an inadequate administrative response.
He also pointed to internal party dynamics, saying senior Muslim leaders once prominent in the BJP — including Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Shahnawaz Hussain — had been sidelined, and questioned the party’s commitment to inclusion.
Political context and implications
Gehlot’s remarks reinforce a recurring opposition narrative about the independence of India’s democratic institutions and the role of religion in electoral politics. By linking institutional integrity to economic and social outcomes, he sought to broaden the appeal of his critique beyond immediate party politics.
Whether these claims will shift public opinion depends on multiple factors: media coverage, responses from the BJP and the institutions named, and the resonance of allegations with voters experiencing local governance issues such as power cuts and water shortages.
Gehlot closed by calling on younger citizens to take a more active role in public life, urging the next generation to enter politics to defend democratic norms — a reminder that concerns about institutions and inclusivity are being used to mobilise new political engagement as much as to rally established supporters.
