Archive · 14 Aug 2026
BJP Slams Rahul Gandhi Over 'Hug' Jibe at PM Modi
Rahul Gandhi is a leader of the Congress party in India.
He made a speech at his party's big meeting on Thursday.
In his speech, he joked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign policy.
He said the Prime Minister's way of dealing with leaders of other countries is mostly about hugging them.
To show what he meant, he hugged a fellow Congress leader on stage.
The BJP, the party that runs the government, got very angry.
They said Rahul Gandhi was rude and disrespectful to the Prime Minister and to the people of India, and some asked him to grow up.
Then Rahul Gandhi's own party defended him, saying he was only showing how the Prime Minister works and did not mean to mock anyone.
They said the BJP should not make such a big issue of it.
Rahul Gandhi mocked PM Narendra Modi's foreign policy as 'all about hugging leaders' at the Rachnatmak Congress National Convention on Thursday.
Gandhi staged a hug with Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on stage to demonstrate his point, after Dikshit made a snide remark about Italian PM Giorgia Meloni.
Gandhi also described the BJP-RSS as a 'bunch of jokers' with no understanding of India.
BJP leaders hit back: Pralhad Joshi asked Gandhi to 'grow up,' Giriraj Singh called him 'mentally frustrated,' and Bansuri Swaraj and Sukanta Majumdar condemned his language.
Congress defended Gandhi, saying he did not mock anyone, and accused the BJP of 'spreading lies' and overreacting.
- Who
- Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha; Prime Minister Narendra Modi; BJP leaders Pralhad Joshi, Giriraj Singh, Bansuri Swaraj, and Sukanta Majumdar; and Congress members including Pramod Tiwari, who defended Gandhi.
- What
- A political clash over Rahul Gandhi's criticism of PM Modi's foreign policy, which he described as being all about hugging foreign leaders.
- When
- Thursday, during the Rachnatmak Congress National Convention (exact date not specified in the articles).
- Where
- New Delhi, the venue of the Rachnatmak Congress National Convention.
- Why
- Gandhi said the PM oversimplifies diplomacy with symbolic gestures like hugs, while the BJP said his remarks insulted a democratically elected Prime Minister and the people of India.
Congress / Rahul Gandhi perspective
BJP / ruling party perspective
PM Modi's foreign policy
Congress / Rahul Gandhi perspective
Gandhi and Congress allies said he only highlighted how the PM's foreign policy relies on symbolic gestures like hugging foreign leaders; they insisted he named or mocked no one.
BJP / ruling party perspective
BJP leaders called the remarks 'uncultured and indecent' and an insult to a democratically elected Prime Minister, and thereby an insult to the people of India.
Dignity of the Leader of Opposition
Congress / Rahul Gandhi perspective
Congress said Gandhi was speaking in a lighter vein and treated the remarks as legitimate political criticism of government policy.
BJP / ruling party perspective
BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj said the language was contrary to the dignity of a constitutional position like Leader of Opposition, which should play a 'constructive opposition' role rather than use 'cheap rhetoric for social media memes and reels.'
Reference to Italy's PM Giorgia Meloni
Congress / Rahul Gandhi perspective
Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat said Gandhi was not referring to Italian PM Giorgia Meloni; he was only criticizing the gestures PM Modi makes while traveling abroad.
BJP / ruling party perspective
Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar condemned what he called 'vulgar jokes targeting PM Narendra Modi ji and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, with Congress leaders laughing along.'
- Key figure
- Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition
- Target of criticism
- PM Narendra Modi's foreign policy
- Venue
- Rachnatmak Congress National Convention, New Delhi
- Congress leaders in the skit
- Rahul Gandhi and Sandeep Dikshit
- Key BJP critics
- Pralhad Joshi, Giriraj Singh, Bansuri Swaraj, Sukanta Majumdar
- Foreign leader referenced
- Giorgia Meloni, Italian PM (Congress says Gandhi did not refer to her)
- Gandhi's label for BJP-RSS
- 'bunch of jokers'
- Date of convention
- Thursday (exact date not stated)
