Cong protests over BJP's social media post equating Indira Gandhi with Hitler

NT Correspondent
Bengaluru

Tensions flared up in Bengaluru on Thursday after Congress workers staged a protest against the BJP over a controversial social media post that compared former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to Adolf Hitler. The post was shared by the BJP Karnataka’s official X (formerly Twitter) account.

The protest erupted near the BJP state office, where Congress activists shouted slogans and demanded legal action against the BJP’s state unit. Police personnel deployed at the spot swiftly intervened and detained several protesters to prevent any untoward incident. The BJP's social media post, shared on June 25, featured a 38-second graphic video referencing the Emergency era (1975–77) in India.

It carried the caption "Indira ≠ India, Indira = Hitler" and visually compared Indira Gandhi to the Nazi dictator. The video was later deleted, but screenshots and screen recordings continued to circulate, fueling the controversy. Following this, S. Manohar, General Secretary of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), filed a formal complaint against the BJP’ spost at the High Grounds Police Station.

In his complaint, Manohar alleged that the post was derogatory and aimed at creating communal disharmony and instigating enmity between communities. Responding to the backlash, Home Minister G. Parameshwara stated that FIRs are often registered suo motu if a post is found to incite hatred or hurt public sentiment.

“If someone insults a national leader who served the country for decades, people will naturally protest,” he said. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar also hit out at the BJP, remarking, “I think the BJP has internal issues. After the declaration of Emergency, the entire country stood behind Indira Gandhi.

She returned to power in 1980, and no other party could form a government. She sacrificed her life for this country, and now they are defaming her for the sake of publicity.”

The incident has intensified rivalry between the BJP and Congress, with the Congress accusing the BJP of disrespecting a leader who played a key role in shaping post-independence India.