In a fiery political showdown, Rahul Gandhi’s recent remark about a “hydrogen bomb” during his Voter Adhikar Yatra in Patna has sparked strong reactions from opponents. The Congress leader’s comment about electoral fraud caught the attention of both the BJP and JD(U), who criticized him sharply.
JD(U) leader Saket Singh called Rahul Gandhi’s statement “nonsensical and disrespectful” to Bihar’s people. He said, “Rahul Gandhi is now a target for jokes nationwide and even internationally. He talks about atom and hydrogen bombs, but the people of Bihar will reject him just like last time.” Singh also mentioned that Gandhi has insulted respected leaders like Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur, and noted that even some of Gandhi’s allies, like Tej Pratap Yadav, have dismissed his yatra as “just political drama.”
The BJP’s Gaurav Vallabh went further, accusing Gandhi of trying to weaken India’s Constitution and mislead young voters. “Rahul Gandhi is talking about vote theft and trying to undermine Dr. Ambedkar’s Constitution. He even suggests that Bihar’s youth’s rights could be handed over to Bangladeshi infiltrators,” Vallabh said. He reminded people of Bihar’s past scandals like the fodder scam and land-for-jobs controversy, warning that they aren’t fooling anyone.
The controversy started after Rahul Gandhi, speaking to thousands during the final day of his Voter Adhikar Yatra, warned of “a hydrogen bomb coming after the atom bomb of vote theft,” implying that electoral corruption is becoming even more dangerous. Gandhi was criticizing what he calls growing efforts by the BJP to manipulate elections and disenfranchise marginalized communities, including through changes to electoral rolls in Bihar.
The yatra, which began in Sasaram on August 17, aimed to protest against these alleged attacks on voters’ rights. It covered over 110 assembly constituencies across 25 districts in Bihar, highlighting concerns about fairness and transparency in the electoral process.
This heated debate shows how electoral issues and political rhetoric remain intense, with leaders exchanging strong words over the state of Bihar’s democracy.
