'What About Rajnath, Anurag, Amit Shah?': AAP Defends I.N.D.I.A Partner Congress Over 'Dynasty Politics' Jibe

Bhardwaj questioned why the BJP prioritises families linked to the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, and Lalu Prasad Yadav while ignoring several powerful political dynasties within the BJP.

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj

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In a scathing critique of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) stance on nepotism in Indian politics, Delhi's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Minister, Saurabh Bhardwaj, raised eyebrows by challenging the BJP's 'selective focus on political dynasties'. He questioned why the BJP emphasises families associated with the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, and Lalu Prasad Yadav while ignoring several powerful political dynasties within their own ranks.

He contended that, despite being a young political party, the BJP has numerous political families, including Rajnath Singh, Anurag Thakur, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Amit Shah, casting doubt on the party's commitment to combating nepotism in Indian politics.

"I get surprised whenever BJP talks about 'Parivarvaad', why do they only talk about Congress, Samajwadi party and Lalu Prasad's family. There are families of Rajnath Singh, Anurag Thakur, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Amit Shah. In BJP there are hundreds of families in politics...It's obvious that BJP is a 30-40 year old party so you can see two generations in it. Congress is a 150-year-old party so you can see 3-4 generations in it. Did BJP do anything to stop nepotism?" he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. 

#WATCH | Delhi: AAP Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj says, "I get surprised whenever BJP talks about 'Parivarvaad', why do they only talk about Congress, Samajwadi party and Lalu Prasad's family. There are families of Rajnath Singh, Anurag Thakur, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Amit Shah. In… pic.twitter.com/XR7wLjbXCR

— ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2023

Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma questioned whether defence minister Rajnath Singh's son, who is only an MLA in Uttar Pradesh, can be compared to Priyanka Gandhi in terms of dynastic politics.

This was in response to Rahul Gandhi's attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah in poll-bound Mizoram on Tuesday, in which Rahul Gandhi cited examples of dynastic politics such as Jay Shah, Anurag Thakur, and Pankaj Singh (Rajnath Singh's son) as examples.

In response, Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that Rahul Gandhi should first understand the concept of dynastic politics. "He mistook the BCCI for a BJP wing." "Poor, illiterate fellow," Assam's chief minister said.

What did Rahul Gandhi say about Jay Shah?

"What does Amit Shah's son do?  What exactly is he doing? What is Rajnath Singh's son's job? According to what I've heard, Amit Shah's son is in charge of Indian cricket. Please maintain objectivity. Look at the BJP leaders and consider what their children are doing. And you will find that many of their children, including Anurag Thakur, are dynasties," Rahul Gandhi said in response to a question about dynasty politics.