Another Self goal: Times When Rahul Gandhi's Gaffes Left Congress Red-faced

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi, no stranger to stirring controversies, has once again found himself in hot water due to his remarks on the Indian Army. At a public gathering in Rae Bareli, he criticised the 'Agniveer Scheme', suggesting a divisive line between soldiers from affluent backgrounds and those from less privileged ones. This statement comes hot on the heels of his mentor Sam Pitroda's racially insensitive remarks, leaving the Congress party once again red-faced. “Narendra Modi has made two types of Jawans. One is the son of a poor, Dalit, Backward Class, minority community, and the other, is the son of a rich family. The son of a poor family has been given a new name: Agniveer,” Rahul Gandhi said. 

However, this is not the first time Rahul Gandhi has insulted soldiers.  Few years back, when Indian soldiers in Arunachal had given a befitting reply to Chinese forces, Rahul Gandhi had said in Parliament that Indian soldiers were beaten up. Similarly, when the Balakot and Uri surgical strikes were carried out, questions were raised, he had raised questions on their authenticity. 

In this article, let's take a look at some of the infamous statements made by Rahul Gandhi that have left the Congress party embarrassed. From gaffes to controversial remarks, Rahul Gandhi has had his fair share of moments that have caused significant backlash and criticism, often putting his party in a difficult position. Let's revisit some of these instances 

Rahul Gandhi's Series of Self-Goals  

'Fighting Against Shakti': During the grand finale of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Mumbai, Rahul Gandhi, known for his blunders, made a slip-up. "There is a word 'Shakti' (might) in Hindi. We are fighting against a Shakti (might of the state). The question is, what is that Shakti and what does it entail for us? The soul and integrity of EVMs have been traded to the King (Modi). This is a fact. Not just EVMs but every autonomous institution of the country, be it the ED, CBI or Income Tax department, have traded their spines to the Centre," Rahul Gandhi said in an address in Mumbai.

PM Modi 'Not Born In OBC':  Rahul Gandhi’s remark on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's caste was also based on wrong facts.  “Modi ji has been misleading the people by saying that he is an OBC. He was born in a family of the ‘Ghanchi’ caste, which was included in the OBC list during the BJP government's tenure in Gujarat in 2000. He changed his caste to OBC after becoming the CM of Gujarat. Therefore, Modi ji is not an OBC by birth,” the Congress MP made the remarks while making a brief speech during his Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra. However, if we look at the fact, it is clear that the Gujarat Government's notification in 1999, which listed Narendra Modi's caste as Other Backward Class (OBC), was issued on October 27, 1999, a full two years before he assumed the role of Chief Minister of Gujarat.

Aishwarya Rai danced at Pran Pratishtha ceremony: Rahul Gandhi mistakenly also claimed that Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai was dancing at the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on Jan 22. While addressing his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Amethi, UP, Rahul said, "Did you see the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony at the Ram Temple? On one side, Aishwarya Rai was seen dancing, and on the other end, Amitabh Bachchan was coming doing the Balle Balle."

Amma Canteen or Indira Canteen:  Rahul had once referred to Karnataka's subsidized food service, the Indira canteen, as the "amma" canteen, which is another widely recognized subsidized food provider in Tamil Nadu. Confused between 'Bhrashtachar' and ‘Balatkaar’: While addressing a women's rally in Madhya Pradesh, RaGa had mixed up two Hindi words Bhrashtachar (Corruption) and Balatkaar (Rape) while addressing the escalating incidents of violence against women in the BJP-ruled states.

Factory of Chips, not Potato: Speaking to people in Firozabad, Rahul found himself in hot water after a slip of the tongue during a speech addressing farmers' demands for a 'potato factory" in their area. The gaffe was a simple misunderstanding, a common occurrence in his speeches. What Rahul intended to convey was support for a factory producing potato chips, not a literal "potato factory."

Steve Jobs in the Microsoft?: Raising eyebrows, Rahul Gandhi while addressing students ofNarsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai, said, "One day you're going to run this country, run the institutions, you will be the Steve Jobs in the Microsofts and the leaders…the Facebooks of this country." While it's unclear whether it was a slip of the tongue or a genuine mistake, as Steve Jobs co-founded Apple, not Microsoft.

Confused between MNREGA and NREGA: During a parliamentary session, Rahul Gandhi criticized the NDA government for its stance on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme, commonly known as NREGA. However, in a momentary slip, he referred to it simply as NREGA, omitting Mahatma Gandhi's name.   

BJP Urges EC to Take Action 

Meanwhile, the BJP urged the Election Commission to take strict action against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks that the Modi government has created two categories of soldiers, one comprising those from poor families and reserved classes, and the other from rich families.

A senior party delegation comprising External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal, G Kishan Reddy and Rajeev Chandrasekhar approached the Election Commission and lodged a complaint. BJP Rajya Sabha MP and national media in-charge Anil Baluni was also part of the delegation.

"A few days ago, Rahul Gandhi said that Narendra Modi has created two types of soldiers, one comprising sons of those who are poor and belong to dalit, adivasi, backwards, economically weaker sections in the general category and minorities, while the other comprising those who are sons of rich," Jaishankar told reporters after meeting poll panel officials.

"This is a lie. This is an attack on our armed forces. They want to make it a controversial topic and lower the morale of the armed forces. This is not a topic of elections. This is a matter of national security," he added.

Gandhi had made the reported remarks at a recent poll rally in Rae Bareli while attacking the Modi government on the Agnipath recruitment scheme for soldiers.

Jaishankar described Gandhi's remarks as "very serious" and said the BJP delegation brought it to the notice of the Election Commission, and urged it to take "very strict action" against the Congress leader and make him retract his comments.

"If, during elections, such attacks are carried out at the Army, which, deployed at our borders, is using its all might to keep the country safe from Chinese forces and also standing firm against terrorism at the Pakistan border… If you attack them in such a way without any reason and by spreading lies and say that if they martyr, the government will not do anything for them, then we take serious exception to it," he added.

Jaishankar said that such attacks against armed forces is "very dangerous" for the country.

"We should never tolerate it. Today we came before the Election Commission (seeking action against Rahul Gandhi) and we want to place it before the country also that this country will not tolerate that such attacks are carried out on our soldiers for political reasons," he added.