‘Do You Know Her Name?’: BJP Hits Out At Rahul Gandhi With ‘Italian Woman’ Jibe

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s press conference on the alleged “vote chori” in Haryana has sparked a sharp response from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of acting under the BJP’s influence to manipulate results in the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections, claiming evidence of “duplicate, fake and bulk” voting.

Gandhi released what he called “The H Files”, describing them as the next big set of proofs exposing “how votes were stolen to help the BJP win.” His remarks triggered an immediate political storm, with top BJP leaders accusing him of deflection and misinformation.

Kiren Rijiju Hits Back

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju strongly criticised Gandhi’s claims, advising him to “discuss serious issues” instead of circulating “fake presentations.” Rijiju referenced Minta Devi, a woman whose photograph Gandhi had previously displayed in a press conference.

“It clearly shows there is nothing left for him in Bihar, so to divert attention, he is now bringing up the issue of Haryana. He has also made a presentation about irrelevant matters. I don’t want to go into that because it was all fake. He even mentioned the name of a foreign woman,” Rijiju said.

The minister added that Minta Devi herself had ‘scolded’ the Congress for misusing her image, saying the incident showed Gandhi’s desperation for attention.

BJP’s Radhika Khera Mocks Gandhi

Adding to the BJP’s counterattack, BJP leader Radhika Khera mocked Gandhi’s reference to the “Brazilian model” of voting. She drew a sharp jibe linked to his family background, writing on X:

“A vote was also cast in Hindustan by an ‘Italian’ woman. Do you know her name??”

वोट तो एक ‘इटालियन’ महिला ने भी हिंदुस्तान में किया था

नाम जानते हैं आप ??

— Radhika Khera (@Radhika_Khera) November 5, 2025

Her comment was seen as a pointed reference to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi’s mother and former Congress president.

What Are Rahul’s Allegations?

Rahul Gandhi insisted that the Election Commission had “worked at the behest of the BJP” and demanded a full independent inquiry. Presenting the second phase of “The H Files”, he alleged large-scale manipulation through duplicate voter lists, fake identities and bulk voting, calling it “India’s biggest democratic theft.”