Dharmshila Gupta Calls Congress ‘Vote‑Bank’ Party Amid Vande Mataram Controversy

In a sharply worded address, BJP legislator Dharmshila Gupta labeled the Congress as a “vote‑bank” party that cares more about electoral arithmetic than national pride. Referring to Prime Minister Modi’s Independence Day salute to freedom fighters, she claimed the opposition continues to pander to caste and religious identities.

Gupta also cited central minister Keren Rijiju’s remarks that the Prime Minister called dissenters “brain‑naxals”, suggesting that the Congress’ opposition to issues like Article 370, Vande Mataram and other national concerns stems from a similar mindset.