Rahul Gandhi’s words reek of elitism: Chhath is faith, not ‘drama’!
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent remarks mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in Chhath Puja rituals have ignited a political storm in Bihar, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing him of insulting both the faith and the festive economy of the state.
As Rahul Gandhi nears sixty, the debate around him has shifted from potential to performance. Heir to India’s most powerful political dynasty, he carries not just a surname but a mythology—one rooted in the Nehru-Gandhi era of national awakening. Yet in a democracy that now prizes authenticity over ancestry, this legacy has become more burden than blessing.
During an election rally and on social media, Gandhi questioned Modi’s sincerity in celebrating Chhath, calling it “political drama.” He also made a derogatory comment against PM Modi, saying that, “if you ask him to dance for vote, he’ll even dance for it”. The comment, however, has backfired sharply, coming at a time when the Chhath festival has generated an estimated ₹50,000 crore in business........





















Toi Staff
Gideon Levy
Tarik Cyril Amar
Stefano Lusa
Mort Laitner
Robert Sarner
Andrew Silow-Carroll
Constantin Von Hoffmeister
Ellen Ginsberg Simon
Mark Travers Ph.d