The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday sharply criticized senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for offering a floral tribute to his grandmother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi while wearing shoes, calling the act disrespectful and contrary to Indian cultural traditions.
Video footage circulating on social media shows Rahul Gandhi placing flowers at a framed photograph of Indira Gandhi during his visit to the Madhya Pradesh Congress office, without removing his footwear.
The incident sparked immediate backlash from BJP leaders.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav condemned the gesture, stating that such behavior does not align with Indian “sanskar” (values). “He is the Leader of Opposition and has every right to come here. But paying tribute to his dadi ji with shoes on? That doesn’t suit our culture. He should have been more careful,” Yadav told mediapersons.
Rahul Gandhi was in Bhopal on a day-long visit to launch the Congress’ Sangathan Srijan Abhiyan (Organisation Rejuvenation Campaign), an internal initiative aimed at rebuilding the party’s grassroots structure ahead of the 2028 Madhya Pradesh assembly elections.
Before officially inaugurating the campaign, Gandhi chaired a meeting of the Congress’ political affairs committee at Indira Bhawan, attended by senior leaders such as Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh, Jitu Patwari, and K C Venugopal.
In response to the BJP’s criticism, the state Congress unit did not comment directly but instead emphasized the objectives of the new campaign, which aims to energize party workers after the party’s poor showing in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The BJP had won all 29 parliamentary seats in the state, including Chhindwara — a longtime Congress bastion.
The Congress party, which briefly governed Madhya Pradesh from 2018 to 2020, has been out of power for much of the past two decades. The ongoing campaign is widely viewed as a strategic effort to regroup and strengthen the party ahead of the next assembly polls.
The controversy over Rahul Gandhi’s footwear during the tribute has sparked debates on social media, with supporters defending him as being focused on the campaign’s goals rather than ceremonial formalities, while critics accuse him of showing disregard for cultural sensitivities. Political analysts say the incident, though symbolic, underscores the heightened scrutiny leaders face in a politically charged environment, especially as the Congress seeks to rebuild its image and voter base in Madhya Pradesh ahead of critical elections.