Scindia, Congress trade barbs over Rahul Gandhi’s ‘maharajas’ remark

BJP's Scindia criticizes Rahul Gandhi's royal family remarks, sparking strong Congress response on historical contributions and betrayals.

BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia's criticism of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his "only maharajas enjoyed rights" remark evoked a strong response from the Congress on Tuesday (January 28, 2025) as it said the Union Minister may have forgotten the royal families' love for the British, "but we cannot forget".

Addressing a rally in Mhow on Monday, Mr. Gandhi said Dalits, backwards and tribals had no rights before independence, when "only maharajas and rajas enjoyed rights".

"The change was brought with independence. You got land and rights. The BJP-RSS wants an India of pre-independence, where common people had no rights and only the likes of Adani and Ambani had rights. They want the poor to suffer in silence and not dream while the country is run by billionaires," he had said.

Attacking Mr. Gandhi for his remarks, Mr. Scindia said the statement given by Rahul Gandhi, a leader who considers the Constitution as his 'pocket diary', on the role of the royal families of India before independence exposes his narrow thinking and understanding.

"In his hunger for power and position, he has forgotten that these royal families had laid the foundation of equality and inclusive development in India years ago," Mr. Scinida said in his post on X on Monday night.

"He has forgotten that: Baroda Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad had provided financial assistance to our Constitution maker Baba Saheb Ambedkar to get education. Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj had laid the foundation of social justice in 1902 by giving 50 percent reservation to the Bahujans of the country in his governance for the first time," Mr. Scindia, who had quit the Congress to join the BJP in 2020, said.

To empower the backward classes educationally, Madhav Maharaj I of Gwalior had opened education and employment centres in the entire Gwalior-Chambal, the BJP leader pointed out.