‘Uncultured, Crude & Vulgar’: BJP Slams Rahul Gandhi Over ‘Locker Room Talk’ Targeting PM Modi and Giorgia Meloni

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of using “uncultured, crude and vulgar” language and resorting to “cheap innuendo and locker-room talk” while commenting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj strongly criticised Gandhi’s remarks, saying the offensive comments made him “look less like the Leader of the Opposition and more like a failed stand-up comedian.” She added that India “deserves a better LoP than a 56-year-old man acting in a juvenile manner.”

Highlighting the Prime Minister’s diplomatic record, Swaraj noted that Modi has signed nine Free Trade Agreements covering 38 countries. “It seems Rahul Gandhi completely lacks a positive agenda. He now resorts to making statements solely tailored for social media memes and reels,” she said.

BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari was equally scathing, stating that Gandhi “has lost his mental semblance” and is “behaving like a clown.”

The controversy stems from a video circulating widely on social media. In it, Gandhi remarks that foreign policy is not about “hugging politicians,” before embracing Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit. Dikshit then quips, “Meloni samajh ke toh nahi pakda tha?” (I hope you did not hug me thinking I was Meloni).

Gandhi further said, "Our job is very simple, and we can drive them crazy. I'm telling you, Narendra Modi does not sleep at night. There are different reasons. There is an obvious reason, and there are many hidden reasons too. You saw Amit Shah, the so-called—what was he called? Chanakya, what else? Sardar Patel. Where has he disappeared? He couldn't come to the Parliament House for 20 days. Why? Because for the first time, they are feeling India's expression. And now they have realised that this country will not stop expressing itself."

Social media users have strongly condemned the episode, calling the comments “gutter-level,” “disgusting,” and “shameful.” Many accused Gandhi of endorsing the objectification of a woman leader and making an inappropriate joke involving the Indian and Italian prime ministers.

One user wrote: “Rahul Gandhi just crossed all limits… how can the LoP of a civilised country say such things about a leader of a foreign nation? Absolutely disgusting!” Another termed it “unforgivable,” arguing that mocking a foreign woman leader and insulting India’s Prime Minister “isn’t bold politics—it’s disgraceful” and exposes “a shocking lack of dignity, maturity and statesmanship.”

Critics across platforms asserted that such behaviour has no place in a civilised democracy and that the Leader of the Opposition should focus on policy debates rather than personal mockery.