Hyderabad: Telangana government adviser Mohammed Ali Shabbir criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for calling Congress leader Rahul Gandhi a “failed product”. Shabbir Ali said the Rahul Gandhi remarks reflected an attempt to divert attention from questions on democratic rights, unemployment and government accountability.
Responding to Modi’s comments at a media summit on Friday, Shabbir Ali accused the Prime Minister of using personal attacks to deflect criticism. He pointed to economic hardship, electoral integrity and concerns about democratic institutions. According to him, Rahul Gandhi had repeatedly sought answers on voting rights and accountability.
The adviser said Modi targeted Rahul Gandhi and the Nehru-Gandhi family whenever the Congress questioned the government. He cited concerns over inflation, alleged electoral manipulation, cronyism and institutional independence. Rather than address these issues, he argued, the Prime Minister focused on the Congress leadership’s family history.
Rahul Gandhi remarks and the Nehru-Gandhi family’s legacy
Shabbir Ali rejected Modi’s claim that the Nehru-Gandhi family had become a burden on the Congress. He said Jawaharlal Nehru helped build India after colonial rule. He also recalled that Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi died while serving the nation.
Nehru, he said, helped establish democratic institutions, industries, scientific organisations and universities. He also shaped India’s independent foreign policy, Shabbir Ali added. Referring to Sonia Gandhi’s family history, he noted that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra lost their grandmother and father to assassinations.
Political opponents could criticise the family’s decisions, he said. However, such criticism should not erase its members’ contributions to Indian history.
Shabbir Ali also questioned Modi’s rise within the BJP. He claimed the party leadership elevated Modi to Gujarat’s chief ministership before he had served as an MLA or minister. He also referred to senior BJP leader L.K. Advani’s role in Modi’s political rise.
The Congress leader alleged that the BJP sidelined Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi after 2014. He said both leaders were moved away from active decision-making and placed in the Margdarshak Mandal. Shabbir Ali claimed the party had used an age limit of 75 to retire senior leaders. He alleged that the same principle was not applied to Modi after he crossed that age.
He further accused the BJP of building its government publicity and election campaigns around one leader. According to Shabbir Ali, the party credited Modi for achievements while blaming others for failures.
Electoral accountability and political controversies
Shabbir Ali also referred to photographs showing Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. He raised the issue alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to India. However, he cautioned against drawing conclusions about guilt from photographs alone. Claims involving public figures, he said, should be assessed through facts and evidence.
The adviser linked the Rahul Gandhi remarks to the Congress campaign over alleged electoral irregularities. He said voters needed assurances that eligible citizens’ names would remain on electoral rolls. He also stressed that democratic institutions should operate independently.
Shabbir Ali questioned why Modi repeatedly attacked Rahul Gandhi if the Congress leader had little political influence. He alleged that the BJP and RSS reacted strongly whenever Rahul Gandhi raised issues involving social justice, unemployment and institutional accountability.
He accused the BJP of mocking Rahul Gandhi, targeting his family and invoking Nehru rather than answering the issues raised by the Congress. Modi could challenge Rahul Gandhi on policy, ideology and governance, Shabbir Ali said. Personal attacks on his father, grandmother and great-grandfather could not replace answers to public concerns.
Shabbir Ali urged the Prime Minister to respond to questions about electoral rolls, employment and the economy. He said Rahul Gandhi would continue campaigning for constitutional and democratic rights despite personal attacks.