New Delhi, Jan 9 (UNI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday mounted a sweeping attack on the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in states, accusing them of running a system driven by corruption, abuse of power and crony capitalism, and alleging that ordinary citizens are paying the price in the form of injustice, disasters and loss of lives.
In a strongly worded statement posted on platform X, Gandhi said the BJP’s much-touted “double-engine” governments had “ruined people’s lives across the country” and reduced the suffering of the poor, workers and middle class to mere statistics. “Corruption, abuse of power, and the poison of arrogance have spread from top to bottom in BJP’s politics,” he alleged.
Targeting the government’s development narrative, the former Congress president claimed that “in the name of ‘development,’ an extortion racket is running,” while policies are designed to benefit a select few. “Modi ji’s ‘double engine’ is running, but only for billionaires. For the common Indian, this double-engine government of corruption is not development, but the speed of devastation,” Gandhi said.
Gandhi also raised pointed questions about the handling of several high-profile crime cases, alleging political protection for the powerful. Referring to the murder of Ankita Bhandari in Uttarakhand, he said the case had “shaken the entire nation” but asked, “Which BJP VIP is being protected by those in power? When will the law be equal for all?”
He drew parallels with the Unnao rape case in Uttar Pradesh, saying the country had witnessed how “criminals were shielded by the arrogance of power” and how much the victim had to suffer to secure justice. The Congress has repeatedly accused the BJP of misusing state machinery to protect influential individuals, a charge the ruling party has denied.
The Congress leader listed a series of incidents to underline what he called systemic governance failures. He cited deaths caused by contaminated water in Indore, complaints of “black water” supply in parts of Gujarat, Haryana and Delhi, and the resulting public health fears. “Fear of diseases looms everywhere,” he said.
Gandhi also pointed to environmental degradation, alleging that rules were trampled wherever “the greed and self-interest of billionaires” prevailed. Referring to mining and construction activities in Rajasthan’s Aravali range and elsewhere, he said mountains were being “sliced” and forests “razed,” leaving people to deal with dust, pollution and disasters.
Highlighting a string of tragedies, Gandhi said deaths of children from contaminated cough syrup, rats killing newborns in government hospitals, and collapsing roofs in government schools were not isolated incidents. “These are not ‘negligence,’ but the direct blow of corruption,” he asserted.
He further cited bridge collapses, cave-ins on roads and fatal train accidents, alleging that the government response was limited to “photo-ops, tweets, and the formality of compensation,” rather than accountability and systemic reform.
Gandhi’s remarks signal the Congress’s intent to sharpen its attack on the ruling party by stitching together crime, corruption, environmental damage and public safety issues into a broader political narrative ahead of upcoming electoral battles.
