The BJP on Thursday (August 6, 2026) attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for bypassing Parliament, accusing him of indulging in "petty politics" and running away from a debate in the House.

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The remarks came after permission for Mr. Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' programme, scheduled to be held at KP Ground in Prayagraj on August 8, was revoked by the Kayastha Pathshala Trust, which cited an Allahabad High Court order and waterlogging at the venue.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha was scheduled to interact with students on alleged paper leaks and other matters affecting them at the gathering.

BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh said Mr. Gandhi is avoiding Parliament and called him "mentally bankrupt" for not being prepared to debate in the House.

"While Parliament is in session, you are bypassing the country's highest democratic institution for petty politics. You are not prepared to come to the House and participate in a debate, the highest forum of democracy. This shows that you have become mentally bankrupt," Mr. Chugh told reporters in the Parliament House complex.

Mr. Chugh alleged that the Congress is running away from a debate because it has "neither issues nor logic" and claimed its "lies and misleading narrative" will be exposed if a discussion takes place.

Mr. Chugh further alleged that the Congress is trying to "hijack" students' protests for political gains and claimed the party has no time even for students from Jharkhand.

"Students are struggling and raising issues, but the Congress party's so-called intellectual leader and dim-witted Rahul Gandhi do not have even a minute to listen to or understand their pain and suffering. This reflects the double standards of the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi," Mr. Chugh said.

"The country is watching how the Congress adopts every possible tactic to derive political mileage in the name of students. It even tries to hijack the protest by arriving in buses. Yet it does not have time for the students of Jharkhand. This shows the Congress party's double character and double standards," he added.