Venugopal Criticizes BJP's 'Politics of Bigotry' Amid GDP Growth Celebrations

Congress MP K C Venugopal has criticized BJP and RSS for what he calls 'politics of bigotry', highlighting the 'purification' ritual controversy at a Congress event. His remarks come in response to India's reported 7.8% GDP growth in Q1 FY27, which PM Modi called a testament to collective national strength.

Congress Member of Parliament K C Venugopal launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Saturday, accusing them of engaging in 'politics of bigotry'—a pressing issue he considers a major challenge for India. This criticism comes in response to an alleged 'purification' ritual at a venue where Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had recently spoken, which Venugopal decried as a promotion of untouchability.

Venugopal addressed reporters, expressing his disapproval of such actions, particularly in Kerala, a state renowned for its historical reform movements. 'Conducting such a ritual at the site of Kharge's speech is disturbing... This reflects the old-era practices,' he asserted. He further accused BJP of justifying this act, emphasizing that it exemplifies their focus on religious intolerance, which he believes is a significant threat impacting the nation.

These comments were made during a period of intense political debate surrounding the 'shuddhikaran' event at Haldwani's Ramlila Ground shortly after a Congress rally led by Kharge on August 8. Shifting his criticism to economics, Venugopal questioned the government's handling of the unemployment crisis and claimed the GDP figures being celebrated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi are inflated. In a video message, PM Modi praised India's 7.8% GDP growth in the first quarter of FY27 as a testament to the people's effort while urging a focus on domestic production and addressing global challenges.