While Congress and Samajwadi Party sealed their seat-sharing deal for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the BJP on Wednesday asked why Samajwadi Party is silent on Rahul Gandhi’s ‘crass’ remarks on Aishwarya Rai, actor and Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan’s daughter-in-law. Karnataka BJP upped the ante and questioned chief minister Siddaramaiah about his stand on the ‘repeated insult’ to Aishwarya Rai, a Kannadiga. Rahul Gandhi took Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s name in the context of Ram Mandir and commenting on what media shows. Addressing different rallies during his ongoing Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Rahul Gandhi took Aishwarya Rai’s name at least four times in the last few days.

In the context of Ram Mandir, Rahul Gandhi said industrialists Adani, Ambani, Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai were present at the pran pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya but there was no tribal face, not even President Droupadi Murmu.”This is their Hindustan not yours,” Rahul Gandhi said. Commenting on media, Rahul Gandi on another occasion said, ‘Media mein kuch dikhana hai toh Aishwarya Rai ko nachte hue dikhana hai.”

“Television channels only show Aishwarya Rai dancing. They don’t show anything about the poor people. They show Narendra Modi, Amitabh Bachchan 24 hours,” Rahul Gandhi said.

Rahul Gandhi also took Katrina Kaif’s name in the Ram Mandir context in his speech on Tuesday. “Who else did you see,” Rahul Gandhi asked and was prompted the name of Katrina Kaif which he then repeated. It may be noted Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was not present at the pran pratishtha ceremony.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala said Rahul Gandhi did not comment on Sandeshkhali where women have been tortured and harassed by Trinamool’s Shahjahan, but calling UP youth ‘drunk’ and making misogynistic comments on Aishwarya Rai Bachchan who has nothing to do with politics. “Why is Priyanka silent? Is she embarrassed too? Why is SP not saying anything against these comments on their own MP’s family,” Poonawala said.

“Hello Mr. @siddaramaiah, as your boss continues to insult a fellow Kannadiga, will you uphold your professed Kannada pride & speak out against such disrespect, or will you remain silent to safeguard your CM Chair?” Karnataka BJP posted on X calling this Rahul Gandhi’s ‘dangerous and creepy obsession with successful and self-made women’.