“Rahul Speaks Truth, That’s Why They Fear Him”: Priyanka Defends Brother, Hits Out at Personal Attacks
New Delhi: Priyanka Gandhi, Congress MP from Wayanad and AICC General Secretary, sharply criticized the central government during a media interaction at Parliament House precincts on March 10, 2026, amid the ongoing Budget Session tensions.
Addressing reporters, she warned that India’s crises are intensifying and will worsen due to the government’s alleged concessions in a trade deal with the United States. “The crisis is deepening and it will deepen,” she stated, attributing this to the way the government has “bent” before America in the trade agreement, compounded by ongoing global conflicts.
She defended her brother, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, against personal attacks from BJP leaders. Responding to Union Minister Giriraj Singh’s reported remark questioning why Rahul Gandhi wears “short pajamas,” Priyanka expressed disbelief at the nature of the question. “What kind of question is this? … In a country facing crises, where people are suffering due to these policies, these are the things being discussed?” she asked, urging focus on real issues instead of trivial personal jabs.
She also addressed comments from Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, who had suggested she might be better suited as Leader of Opposition and referenced her smiling during his remarks in the House. Priyanka clarified that her smile stemmed from the irony of the situation. “I was laughing because you are scared of him [Rahul],” she said, describing Rahul as the only figure who consistently speaks truth without bowing to pressure. She alleged extensive efforts—including money, social media campaigns, and media attacks—have failed to diminish his influence, as “the truth doesn’t sit well with them.”
Priyanka accused the government of dodging substantive debates in Parliament by diverting attention to topics like Vande Mataram, Nehru, and Indira Gandhi, while avoiding discussions on rising inflation, unemployment, the sale of national assets to industrialists like Adani and Ambani, and why the country is being “served to America on a platter.” She claimed the Speaker faces pressure, eroding institutional independence, and that the opposition fights to preserve democratic institutions rather than weaken them.
She emphasized that persistent truth-telling eventually resonates with the public, recalling her grandmother Indira Gandhi’s words: attempts to project a false image ultimately fail, as the people of India recognize truth over time, even if it takes a while.
The remarks come amid heightened opposition criticism of the government on economic policies, institutional functioning, and recent trade negotiations, with Congress positioning Rahul Gandhi’s outspokenness as a key challenge to the ruling dispensation.
