BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra made the allegations on Sunday, November 1, claiming that Priyanka was denied opportunities to address two INDIA bloc gatherings in New Delhi because Rahul feared being overshadowed by her growing political prominence.
Patra, in a video posted on Instagram, questioned why Priyanka had not spoken at Saturday’s mock Parliament or Sunday’s opposition rally at Ramlila Maidan. He suggested that the Congress leadership was restricting her public role to protect Rahul’s position.
The accusations have not been substantiated by evidence establishing that Rahul prevented his sister from speaking. Priyanka’s absence from the speakers’ lists does not independently demonstrate an internal dispute or deliberate exclusion.
Patra claimed that Priyanka appeared unhappy at both gatherings and suggested that differences between the siblings were becoming apparent during opposition activities.
“Could it be that Rahul Gandhi fears that if Priyanka Vadra is projected as a leader, he might be sidelined?” Patra asked in his video message.
The BJP spokesperson also invoked the opposition’s campaign against alleged electoral manipulation, suggesting that Priyanka’s “vote has also been stolen” within the Gandhi family itself.
The remarks followed two consecutive days of demonstrations organised by the INDIA bloc against alleged electoral irregularities and the Election Commission’s handling of voter registration.
Saturday’s symbolic parliamentary proceedings included a purported public impeachment of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Opposition leaders accused the election authority of acting under the influence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and undermining voting rights.
The allegations against the Election Commission remain contested. The opposition’s symbolic impeachment exercise carried no constitutional authority to remove the chief election commissioner.
Sunday’s Ramlila Maidan gathering brought together opposition leaders protesting alleged electoral malpractice and the revision of electoral rolls. Rahul addressed the rally alongside representatives of parties participating in the alliance.
Patra maintained that several political figures, including individuals who were not members of Parliament, had addressed Saturday’s gathering while Priyanka was not offered a speaking opportunity.
“Priyanka Vadra was not given an opportunity to speak by Rahul Gandhi or the Congress party,” he alleged while discussing the mock parliamentary proceedings.
He claimed that the situation was repeated at Ramlila Maidan, where several opposition representatives addressed supporters but Priyanka did not deliver a speech.
Another BJP spokesperson, Pradeep Bhandari, reinforced the accusations, questioning whether separate Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi factions had emerged within the Congress.
Bhandari alleged that Rahul was attempting to suppress his sister’s political advancement and questioned the arrangements made for her participation in the opposition programmes.
He pointed to Priyanka’s seating position during the mock Parliament, claiming that she had been placed in the second row despite her standing within the Congress leadership.
The seating arrangement, however, does not establish that a factional struggle exists. Neither BJP spokesperson presented documentary evidence of instructions preventing Priyanka from addressing the gatherings.
The Congress had not issued a substantiated response to the specific accusations in the accounts available following Sunday’s statements. There was likewise no verified public statement from Priyanka confirming that she had sought permission to speak and been refused.
Rahul serves as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, while Priyanka represents Wayanad in Parliament. Both have participated in the Congress campaign questioning electoral procedures and the functioning of the Election Commission.
The BJP’s intervention also formed part of a broader exchange between the governing party and the opposition over Sunday’s demonstration.
Patra separately challenged claims about the rally’s attendance, accusing Congress leaders of exaggerating the number of participants. He cited images of the venue and disputed projections that the gathering would attract one million people.
Those attendance claims were contested, and no independently verified crowd estimate established the figures advanced by either side.
The confrontation had intensified before the rally when Rahul alleged that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was attempting to prevent opposition supporters from travelling to Delhi.
Patra rejected that accusation on Friday and demanded evidence identifying people who had been stopped from reaching the capital.
He also questioned the opposition’s organisational arrangements after its symbolic parliamentary exercise was shifted from Friday to Saturday, attributing the change to inadequate preparations, an explanation offered by the BJP rather than independently established fact.
