The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his ‘hydrogen bomb’ remark, with senior leaders dubbing his ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ as “toxic” and even labelling it the “Bihar Badnam Yatra”.
BJP National Spokesperson CR Kesavan told news agency ANI, “Rahul Gandhi’s toxic yatra filled with hate bombs of vulgar abuse and lies has really poisoned and polluted the public discourse in our country. Also, the people of Bihar are now labelling this yatra as ‘Bihar Badnam Yatra’ because Rahul Gandhi, in the most insensitive way, invited and paraded DMK leaders in Bihar when Rahul Gandhi fully knew that in the past, senior DMK leaders had repeatedly tarnished the reputation and insulted the dignity of the people of Bihar.”
#WATCH | Chennai, Tamil Nadu: BJP National Spokesperson CR Kesavan says, “Rahul Gandhi’s toxic yatra filled with hate bombs of vulgar abuse and lies has really poisoned and polluted the public discourse in our country. Also, the people of Bihar are now labelling this yatra as… pic.twitter.com/F8102bVEHV
— ANI (@ANI) September 1, 2025
He further said, “The people of Bihar are fed up with the negativity and hate spewed by Rahul Gandhi and his cohorts. The people of Bihar will teach a lesson to the Congress, RJD, INDI bloc in the coming days by routing them in the Bihar election and consigning them to the dustbin of history.”
Ravi Shankar Prasad Slams ‘Hydrogen Bomb’ Remark
Former Union Minister and BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad also ridiculed Rahul Gandhi’s choice of words. “Whenever I listen to Rahul Gandhi, inside or outside the Parliament, it takes time to understand what he is trying to say. Today he has said, ‘maine atom bomb phoda hai ab mai hydrogen bomb phodunga’ (I detonated an atom bomb, now I will detonate a hydrogen bomb)… How are the atom bomb and the hydrogen bomb related to the elections?… Why is Rahul Gandhi demeaning himself as the Leader of Opposition… The nation should understand, Rahul Gandhi is irresponsible,” ANI quoted him as saying.
#WATCH | Delhi: BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad says, “Whenever I listen to Rahul Gandhi, inside or outside the Parliament, it takes time to understand what he is trying to say. Today he has said, ‘maine atom bomb phoda hai ab mai hydrogen bomb phodunga’… How are the atom bomb and… pic.twitter.com/FU5TJH87sJ
— ANI (@ANI) September 1, 2025
Prasad also accused the opposition of repeatedly demanding a return to ballot papers only because they can no longer capture booths in Bihar. “Thanks to the Election Commission that booths are not captured now in Bihar… Their whole agitation against the Election Commission and the SIR is centred around ‘give us the right and might to capture booths, tear away ballot papers, and let infiltrators vote’,” he alleged.
Misa Bharti Absent, Tejashwi Yadav Reduced To Number 2: BJP Jibes At INDIA
The BJP leader further slammed Gandhi for failing to condemn offensive remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother. “Rahul Gandhi does not have an iota of shame left to come forward and say that the person was not a Congress worker, and even if he is, action will be taken against him,” Prasad said.
He also questioned Mis Bharti’s absence and alleged reduced status of Tejashwi Yadav in the Rahul Gandhi-led yatra, remarking, “Throughout their yatra, Rahul Gandhi was always in the front in the car, and Tejashwi Yadav stood behind him… Patna has two MPs, one of whom is me and the other is Misa Bharti. She was nowhere to be seen… Why has Tejashwi Yadav been reduced to a number 2 player in Bihar? Congress has no vote here and is completely at your mercy and you have become a number 2 player.”
#WATCH | Delhi: BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad says, “… Throughout their yatra, Rahul Gandhi was always in the front in the car, and Tejashwi Yadav stood behind him… Patna has two MPs, one of whom is me and the other is Misa Bharti. She was nowhere to be seen… Why has Tejashwi… pic.twitter.com/rbgw1PQglp
— ANI (@ANI) September 1, 2025
Rahul Gandhi Promises ‘Hydrogen Bomb’ Exposé
Responding to black flag protests during the yatra, Gandhi asserted that his party would soon unveil explosive evidence of alleged vote rigging. “Have you heard of anything bigger than an atom bomb, what is bigger than that, it is a hydrogen bomb. In Mahadevapura, we had shown an atom bomb. BJP people, be ready, a hydrogen bomb is coming. People are soon going to find out your (BJP) reality of vote chori,” PTI quoted him as saying.
He alleged that in Maharashtra “the election was stolen from Congress-Shiv Sena (UBT)-NCP (SP)” and claimed over one crore new voters were added between Lok Sabha and assembly polls, all benefitting the BJP. Gandhi said his party had also provided evidence of one lakh fake votes in Mahadevapura assembly segment in Karnataka.
“The forces that killed Mahatma Gandhi are trying to murder the Constitution of India,” he said, adding that “vote chori means theft of rights, reservation, democracy, employment, education, and the future of youth”.
INDIA Bloc Shows Unity in Patna
The ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’—which covered 1,300 km across 110 constituencies in 25 districts of Bihar—concluded with a show of strength by INDIA bloc allies. Gandhi was joined by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, CPI(ML) Liberation’s Dipankar Bhattacharya, CPI(M)’s M A Baby, CPI’s Annie Raja, TMC MP Yusuf Pathan, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut, and Vikassheel Insan Party chief Mukesh Sahani, among others.
The march began with floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Patna’s Gandhi Maidaan and later to B R Ambedkar at Ambedkar Park. Police, however, stopped the procession midway at Dak Bungalow crossing, where the leaders addressed supporters.