BJP Seizes on Manish Tewari’s Remarks to Target Rahul Gandhi.
Congress leader Manish Tewari’s recent remarks on the growing rejection of entitlement across South and East Asia have sparked a fresh political row, with the BJP linking his statements to Rahul Gandhi.
In a post on X, Tewari cited political upheavals in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and the Philippines, noting how leaders like Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Sheikh Hasina, and KP Sharma Oli had been toppled amid youth-led protests. He wrote: “ENTITLEMENT IS NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE TO GEN X, Y, Z,” pointing to rising anger against dynastic politics amplified by social media.
The BJP immediately drew a parallel with Rahul Gandhi. BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya branded Gandhi the “ultimate Nepo Kid of Indian politics”, adding, “Forget Gen Z, even Congress’s own veterans are fed up with his regressive politics. The revolt is now from within!”
Tewari rejected the interpretation, saying, “Gosh, I just wish that some people would grow up in life.” He clarified that his comments were about regional trends, not domestic party politics, and stressed their wider national security implications.
The controversy came close on the heels of Rahul Gandhi’s social media post praising India’s Gen Z for defending the Constitution and standing against alleged “vote chori.” With protests in Nepal fresh in public memory, the BJP accused Gandhi of attempting to provoke similar unrest in India.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey sharpened the attack: “Gen Z is against dynastic politics. Why would they tolerate Rahul after Nehru, Indira, Rajiv and Sonia? They are against corruption – why won’t they drive you out?” He accused Gandhi of “instigating” students and warned of a backlash.
The Outspoken Insider
While Tewari did not name Gandhi in his remarks, he has long been seen as one of the Congress’s most outspoken leaders. The Anandpur Sahib MP recently posted a screenshot showing both him and Shashi Tharoor excluded from a Parliament debate on Operation Sindoor despite being part of the government’s international outreach.
Alongside the screenshot, he quoted lines from the patriotic film song Purab Aur Pachhim (1970):
“Hai preet jahaan ki reet sada… Bharat ka rehne waala hoon, Bharat ki baat sunata hoon. Jai Hind.”
Asked in Parliament about the cryptic post, Tewari replied: “If you don’t understand my silences, you will never understand my words.” Sources said he had written to the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, expressing his wish to speak, but the Congress leadership chose not to field him.
This is not the first time Tewari has pushed back against the party’s high command. As part of the G-23 group of dissenting leaders in 2020, he co-signed a letter to Sonia Gandhi demanding urgent organisational reforms, internal elections, and stronger leadership after repeated electoral defeats. The call had been triggered by the 2019 Lok Sabha debacle, when Rahul Gandhi lost Amethi to BJP’s Smriti Irani.
For years, Tewari has advocated internal democracy and accountability in the Congress — a stance that continues to keep him at odds with the leadership.
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