New Delhi: In a bold and eyebrow-raising move, Congress leader Surendra Rajput urged the Nobel Committee to honour Rahul Gandhi with the Peace Prize, drawing parallels between the Indian Opposition stalwart and Venezuela’s newly-minted laureate, Maria Corina Machado.
The plea, launched on social media in the wake of Friday’s announcement, has sparked a renewed debate in India’s divisive political landscape, with the BJP dismissing it as an unrealistic aspiration from a serial election loser.
Rajput shared a side-by-side photo of Gandhi and Machado, captioning it: “This year’s Peace Nobel goes to Venezuela’s Opposition leader for defending the constitution. In India, Rahul Gandhi leads the battle to save our Constitution too.” He hailed Gandhi’s crusade against what Congress calls the NDA’s “dictatorship,”, spotlighting issues like alleged voter list tampering in Bihar, EVM hacking claims, the scrapping of reservations for backward classes, and curbs on minorities and SC/ST rights.
The Congress narrative paints Gandhi as a fearless defender, rallying the INDIA bloc to oust the NDA over soaring unemployment, economic woes, and suppressed dissent. Yet, the BJP wasted no time in counterpunching. National spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla skewered the demand on X, quipping, “Congress wants Nobel for Rahul Baba — but only after 99 election defeats. Plus awards for hypocrisy, lies, and murdering democracy in 1975 and 1984.”
The exchange underscores the high-octane rhetoric as alliances gear up for Bihar polls, blending global prestige with gritty local battles. While Machado’s win celebrates democratic defiance abroad, Gandhi’s camp sees it as validation at home — though the BJP’s barbs remind that in Indian politics, glory often comes laced with sarcasm.