The booking of senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by the Bihar police over alleged “abusive slogans” during his Darbhanga rally on August 29 has once again exposed the deepening culture of political victimization under the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime  in India. What should have been treated as a routine instance of political sloganeering during an election rally has been criminalized to suppress dissent and weaken opposition space in India.

Observers noted that Rahul Gandhi, who has already faced disqualification from Parliament over a controversial defamation verdict, continues to be hounded by multiple FIRs across different states in what appears to be a coordinated strategy to keep him embroiled in legal battles instead of political campaigning. 

Political analysts said that the Modi government has increasingly weaponized state machinery, from police forces to investigative agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), to target opposition leaders. They added that invoking cases against Rahul Gandhi in Bihar, where political stakes are particularly high, reflects the BJP’s desperation to undermine his momentum among the masses. 

Analysts further pointed out that such moves not only erode democratic discourse but also reveal Modi’s insecurity over Rahul Gandhi’s growing appeal, particularly among youth and marginalized groups. They maintained that this is outright victimization, not justice, and is symptomatic of India’s shrinking democratic space under the BJP rule. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)