Bihar Elections 2025: A war of words between the ruling BJP and the Congress escalated on Wednesday after Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi reiterated calls for a national caste census and warned of explosive revelations in a series of recent briefings. The BJP, represented by spokesperson and party MP Sambit Patra, responded with a blistering rebuttal, accusing Gandhi of theatrical rhetoric and political opportunism. Patra accused Rahul Gandhi of instigating the poor and Dalits over the latter's remark of a no-caste based protest in Uttar Pradesh.
"Rahul Gandhi tried to draw attention to UP. He said that caste-based protests are not allowed in UP. I don't understand. Your father wanted a casteless society, and you want a caste-based census. Why should there be protests in the state? If the poor are getting their rights as per the Constitution, then why is Rahul Gandhi making instigating statements; sometimes it is Hydrogen and now there is Uranium bomb. He should refrain from making such statements. No matter how much he tries, nepo kids will remain nepo kids. Any generation will not like them," said Patra.
Patra was responding to Rahul Gandhi's remark made earlier during the day. Speaking in Bihar, Rahul Gandhi said, "Even today in this country, there are Extremely Backward Classes, Backward Classes, Dalits, tribals, and minorities, all of whom don't receive the participation they deserve. The entire country recognises this truth. We want to conduct a caste census and show the true population of Dalits, Extremely Backward Classes, and Backward Classes in this country. The entire country should know the population of minorities, tribals, and the poor general castes. That is our ideology."
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi further said, "On the other hand,... in Uttar Pradesh, caste-based protests are prohibited... On one side is that thinking, and on the other is our thinking... We want to give a vision to the extremely backward classes..."
Patra also lashed out at Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's 'plutonium bomb' remark, saying that the Congress party will see all the bombs exploding together after the Bihar election results.
"The plutonium bomb will blast by the end of November when the Congress party will lose (in Bihar). All the bombs will blast together. Hydrogen, atom and plutonium bombs will blast. The Congress will be destroyed completely. The one who makes the bomb gets destroyed by it. Let Rahul Gandhi make bombs. 'Democracy ka Bam Bam hoga, aur bamb banane walon ka gum gum hoga'..." said Patra.
Addressing a press conference, Ramesh had said, "Rahul ji has said that in the next one month mini-hydrogen bomb, hydrogen bomb, plutonium bomb and other bombs will be dropped at different places..."
Gandhi and other Congress leaders have been using explosive metaphors to describe planned disclosures related to alleged electoral irregularities, calling them a “hydrogen bomb” or similar. Those claims have set off a political backlash and calls from opponents to produce evidence.
The BJP’s public pushback follows a pattern of senior party figures calling Gandhi’s “bomb” language undemocratic and theatrical, urging him to “flow like water” with evidence rather than resort to dramatic metaphors.
