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While addressing the debate on the Women’s Quota Bill, Rahul Gandhi referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “magician”, sparking protests from BJP MPs.
File photo of Rahul Gandhi.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, sparked an uproar in the Lower House on Friday with a sarcastic reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “magician”, sparking protests from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
While addressing the debate on the Women’s Quota Bill, Gandhi accused the BJP of redrawing the electoral map of the country. “What you (BJP) are doing, because you are scared of what is happening in the politics of the country, you are scared of the erosion of your strength, and you are trying to rejig the Indian political map. You did it in Assam, J&K, and now imagining you can do it in India. You need a constitutional amendment to do that,” he said.
Gandhi said the BJP knew the bill would not be passed in the House and was panicking. “The truth is the magician has been caught. The magician of Balakot, the magician of demonetisation, the magician of Sindoor has suddenly got caught,” he added.
VIDEO | Speaking in Lok Sabha, LoP Rahul Gandhi says, “…it is important that everyone understands. The BJP knew, they knew very clearly that this bill actually cannot be passed. They knew it. They’re not stupid. They knew every opposition person would oppose it. This bill… pic.twitter.com/v5A5nKcvNb— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 17, 2026
“Everybody knows that there is a partnership between our friend, the magician and the businessman,” he added.
BJP Demands Rahul Gandhi’s Apology
Rahul Gandhi’s remarks sparked a furious uproar from the BJP MPs. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said Gandhi was using wrong language for the Prime Minister and demanded that he apologise for his remarks.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh requested Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to expunge Rahul Gandhi’s remarks. “The kind of words being used by the Leader of the Opposition about the Prime Minister of this country are extremely unfortunate. I believe that no amount of condemnation of this is enough,” he said.
“Repeatedly calling him a ‘magician’ is actually an insult to the people of the country. I would like to request you that the words he has used be expunged from the proceedings. Rahul Gandhi should apologise,” Singh added.
April 17, 2026, 15:22 IST
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