BJP Accuses Rahul Gandhi Of ‘Double Speak’ On Dalit Representation After Channi Remarks

The BJP on Wednesday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of practising “double speak” on the question of proportional representation for Dalits and other marginalised communities within his party, following remarks by senior Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi that pointed to discontent among Dalit members, according to PTI.

The attack came after a video circulated on social media showing Channi, a former Punjab chief minister and currently the Congress MP from Jalandhar, seeking greater Dalit representation during a meeting of the party’s Scheduled Caste wing on Saturday. The video prompted sharp criticism from the ruling party, PTI reported.

Responding to questions on Channi’s remarks, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said the episode had laid bare a contradiction between Rahul Gandhi’s stated ideals and his conduct within the Congress. “I think Charanjit Singh Channi has exposed the gap between Rahul Gandhi's principles and words as well as the difference between what he says and what he does,” Poonawalla said at a press conference at the BJP headquarters.

He further alleged that although Gandhi had appropriated the ‘jannayak’ title associated with former Bihar chief minister Karpoori Thakur, he had failed to practise social justice within his own organisation. “He talks about 'jitni abadi utni bhagidari (giving proportional representation to people belonging to different castes according to their population), raises issues of OBCs, SCs, STs and caste census but there is a difference between the principles he outlines and what he implements,” Poonawalla charged, PTI reported.

Referring directly to Channi’s intervention, the BJP spokesperson added, “When Rahul Gandhi's party leader Charanjit Singh Channi, who comes from the Scheduled Caste, is saying that his community members are not getting justice, then he is not the 'jannayak' of his own party.”

Poonawalla argued that Gandhi’s repeated emphasis on population-based representation should first be applied within the Congress, particularly in Punjab, where Scheduled Castes form a significant share of the population. “But, Rahul Gandhi's principles are like 'haathi ke daant dikhane ke aur, khane ke aur (all show, no substance),” he said, according to PTI.

Using Channi’s remarks to widen his attack, Poonawalla also accused the Congress of being riven by internal conflicts across several states, including Punjab, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. “There is a Rahul Congress versus Priyanka Congress fight... So, the Congress keeps fighting against it. This is a confused party,” he said.

“When Rahul Gandhi is its leader, such things will happen. The Congress will break everywhere,” Poonawalla added, PTI reported.

(With inputs from PTI)