Rahul Gandhi's recent claim that the late Arun Jaitley threatened him over the controversial farm laws has ignited a fierce political firestorm, drawing strong condemnation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and prompting accusations of "shameless lying". The BJP has vehemently refuted Gandhi's allegations, demanding an apology for what they deem a disrespectful and factually incorrect statement about a deceased leader.
Addressing a Congress event in Delhi on Saturday, August 2, 2025, Rahul Gandhi stated that Arun Jaitley, who served as Finance Minister in the previous BJP government, had been sent to warn him against opposing the farm laws. According to Gandhi, Jaitley allegedly said that if he continued down the path of opposing the government on the farm laws, action would be taken against him. Gandhi claimed he responded defiantly, asserting that he and the Congress party would not be cowed.
The BJP swiftly countered Gandhi's claims, pointing out the inconvenient truth that Arun Jaitley passed away in August 2019, well before the farm laws were even drafted or introduced. The farm laws were introduced in 2020, a year after Jaitley's death. Senior BJP leaders have lined up to denounce Gandhi's remarks, accusing him of distorting timelines and spreading falsehoods to suit his political narrative.
Ravi Shankar Prasad, a senior BJP leader, expressed his outrage, stating that Gandhi was "shamelessly lying" about a respected former Finance Minister who is no longer alive to defend himself. He questioned how Jaitley could have threatened Gandhi regarding laws that were enacted after his death.
Adding to the chorus of disapproval, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju questioned the veracity of Gandhi's claims, asking, "How much can one lie?". He pointed out the timeline discrepancy, emphasizing that Jaitley's death preceded the introduction of the farm bills in Parliament. Nirmala Sitharaman, the current Finance Minister, also criticized Gandhi, calling him the "face of irresponsibility". Dharmendra Pradhan, the Education Minister, condemned Gandhi's remarks as insensitive and accused him of spreading lies in the name of the late Jaitley.
The controversy has also drawn in Arun Jaitley's son, Rohan Jaitley, who issued a strong rebuttal to Gandhi's allegations. Rohan Jaitley urged Gandhi to "let the departed Rest in Peace" and reminded him that his father had passed away before the farm laws were enacted. He further emphasized that it was not in his father's nature to threaten anyone and that he was a staunch democrat who believed in building consensus through open discussion. Rohan Jaitley has demanded a public apology from Rahul Gandhi for his remarks.
The BJP's IT cell head, Amit Malviya, also joined the fray, labeling Gandhi's statement as "fake news" and providing a timeline of events to highlight the inaccuracy of the claims.
Congress leaders have defended Gandhi's statements, suggesting that Jaitley was merely conveying a message from higher up. Pawan Khera, Congress' media and publicity chief, stated that the threat came from above and that history would reveal such accounts.
The controversy comes at a time when political tensions are already high, with the country gearing up for future elections. The BJP has seized upon Gandhi's remarks to attack his credibility and question his understanding of basic facts. The incident has further strained the already fraught relationship between the two major political parties.
