Sinha made the remarks on Thursday during a BJP-organised march in Gaya, where leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) gathered to challenge the Opposition’s campaign against the government and constitutional institutions.
The minister described Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, as a “nashedi”, a Hindi expression meaning someone addicted to intoxicants. He also questioned Gandhi’s mental condition, alleging that his political statements demonstrated a disregard for constitutional responsibilities.
Sinha claimed that nobody could make such statements without being under the influence of intoxicants. His remarks were personal allegations rather than claims supported by publicly presented medical evidence.
The comments came during the BJP’s “Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy” march, which began at Gandhi Maidan in Gaya and proceeded towards Tower Chowk. Leaders and workers from NDA constituent parties participated in the demonstration, raising slogans against the Congress and other Opposition parties.
Sinha accused Gandhi of undermining constitutional institutions and disrespecting the democratic mandate. He alleged that the Congress leader was attempting to destabilise an elected government through political agitation.
The minister also questioned whether Congress lacked leaders who respected the Constitution and the country’s democratic institutions. He maintained that Gandhi’s conduct was incompatible with the responsibilities attached to his parliamentary position.
His criticism extended beyond Gandhi to the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Left parties and political figures including Arvind Kejriwal. Sinha alleged that Opposition groups were attempting to encourage unrest through movements influenced by foreign interests.
No documentary evidence establishing foreign financing of the political activities cited by Sinha was presented alongside his allegations. The accusations therefore remain political claims rather than established findings.
The immediate confrontation followed disagreements over the Opposition’s criticism of electoral procedures, particularly the revision of voter lists and allegations that eligible citizens had been deprived of voting rights.
Gandhi has accused the Election Commission of failing to protect electoral integrity and has demanded greater accountability over the handling of voter registrations. The BJP has rejected the Opposition’s allegations and accused Congress leaders of undermining public confidence in democratic institutions.
The dispute intensified after Opposition supporters assembled in Delhi on November 1 to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Gandhi argued that protecting voting rights required accountability from the election authorities.
The Election Commission has maintained that electoral roll revisions are intended to identify duplicate and ineligible registrations while providing mechanisms for eligible voters to seek restoration of their names.
Against this background, the BJP organised demonstrations challenging the Opposition’s accusations and defending the legitimacy of the electoral process.
Sinha’s intervention followed another attack on Gandhi by BJP parliamentarian Sudhanshu Trivedi on Wednesday. Trivedi questioned Gandhi’s political judgement while responding to comments concerning the government’s commitment to combating drug abuse.
Trivedi argued that the Congress should examine whether Gandhi was capable of providing responsible political leadership. His criticism formed part of the BJP’s broader response to Opposition allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
There was no independently confirmed formal Congress response specifically addressing Sinha’s Thursday remarks at the time the controversy emerged. Nor was there confirmation that Gandhi had personally responded to the minister’s description of him.
The distinction matters because the allegation concerning intoxication was directed at Gandhi personally, rather than at a particular government policy or parliamentary statement. No substantiated evidence of substance abuse accompanied the minister’s comments.
Parallel BJP demonstrations were held in Darbhanga, where Union minister Bhupender Yadav participated in a march attended by senior NDA leaders.
BJP legislator Sanjay Saraogi and Janata Dal (United) leader Sanjay Jha accused Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav of spreading misinformation about the special intensive revision of electoral rolls.
Jha challenged the Opposition’s claims concerning voter deletions, maintaining that its leaders had failed to identify affected voters during their political campaign in Darbhanga.
The Darbhanga procession began near the protest venue and concluded at Daru Bhatti Chowk. Local legislators, NDA representatives and party workers participated.
Darbhanga MP Gopal Ji Thakur was also among the political figures associated with the demonstration, which formed part of the BJP-led mobilisation against the Opposition’s electoral allegations across Bihar.
