BJP ridicules Rahul Gandhi’s ‘hydrogen bomb’ remark, calls it arrogance deserving voters’ punishment

New Delhi: The BJP on Monday mocked Rahul Gandhi’s statement that he would soon reveal a “hydrogen bomb” on alleged “vote chori”, saying his earlier “atom bomb” remarks had fizzled out. Senior leader Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Gandhi of lowering the dignity of the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha through irresponsible comments.

Criticism of Modi and voters

Prasad said Gandhi’s repeated attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi amounted to insulting voters. “This is arrogance and we will tell voters to punish him for his arrogance,” he said. He added that people had consistently rejected Gandhi while reaffirming faith in Modi.

Jabs at Tejashwi Yadav

The former Union minister also targeted RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, saying he had become a “second fiddle” to Gandhi despite Congress having no strong base in Bihar. He noted that Yadav, who aspires to be chief minister, had ceded the front seat to Gandhi. Prasad asserted that Gandhi’s Vote Adhikar Yatra, which concluded in Patna, would not impact the upcoming Bihar assembly elections expected in October-November.

Defence of electoral roll review

Defending the Special Intensive Review (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, Prasad said 22 lakh dead voters and eight lakh duplicate names had been removed. He alleged the opposition’s criticism of the exercise stemmed from its desire for booth capture and votes from infiltrators, recalling Bihar’s past record of poll violence.

Gandhi’s campaign termed ‘frustration’

The BJP leader described Gandhi’s campaign as frustration over Congress’ electoral failures. He warned that such conduct would only lead to worse results for the party. He said the opposition had earlier run “false campaigns” against the BJP, including claims in 2014 that Modi would change the Constitution if re-elected, but voters had rewarded the BJP with big wins in Maharashtra and Haryana.

Counter to corruption allegations

Prasad said Gandhi and Yadav, both facing corruption trials, lacked moral ground. He also referred to internal RJD tensions, pointing out that Yadav’s sister Misa Bharti was absent from the Yatra’s concluding event in Patna, despite representing Patliputra constituency.

Past allegations revisited

According to Prasad, Gandhi had earlier levelled high-pitched allegations against Modi over issues such as Rafale and Pegasus but failed to gain traction. He accused Gandhi of undermining institutions like the CAG and Election Commission, suggesting he believed the prime minister’s post was his “divine right”.

BJP’s confidence in Bihar

Prasad expressed confidence that voters would once again rally behind Modi in Bihar as they had in other states. “Gandhi may believe that the prime minister’s chair is his divine right, but people have and will continue to bless Modi with their votes,” he said.