If Indira Gandhi were PM today, she would ban BJP over... says Ashok Gehlot

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday accused the BJP of practising politics in the name of religion and claimed that if former prime minister Indira Gandhi were in power today, she would have banned such a party. Speaking at an award programme in Jaipur, Gehlot said the Constitution does not permit politics based on religion and alleged that the BJP was mobilising people in the name of Hindutva for electoral gains.

The senior Congress leader also targeted the Election Commission, alleging that it was functioning as an agent of the BJP. He claimed that democratic institutions, including the judiciary, were under pressure and that central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Income Tax Department were being used against political opponents. Gehlot further alleged that the BJP was weakening democratic institutions and voting rights, saying such moves would adversely affect poor citizens.

"The Constitution gives equal rights to all religions. Religion should not be used as a political tool," he said. Gehlot also criticised the ideological positions of the BJP and the RSS, describing them as dangerous. "The BJP invokes leaders such as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for political purposes while ignoring their values," he said.

Gehlot said that Indian politics should evolve into a direct contest between Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He urged regional parties to accept Rahul Gandhi's leadership, saying he was effectively raising public issues both inside and outside Parliament. The former chief minister also alleged that the BJP was practising Hindutva politics and pointed to the absence of Muslim BJP MPs in the Lok Sabha. He claimed that leaders such as Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Shahnawaz Hussain had been sidelined by the party.

Turning to the Rajasthan government, Gehlot alleged that governance had deteriorated and claimed that people were facing water and electricity-related problems without an effective administrative response. He also urged young people to enter politics and actively participate in safeguarding democratic values.