Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi triggered a sharp political controversy on Wednesday after calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh “traitors” during an address to Congress workers in Uttar Pradesh’s Rae Bareli.

The remarks drew an immediate backlash from the Bharatiya Janata Party, with several leaders accusing the Congress MP of using “the language of terrorists” and attempting to insult democratic institutions.

According to reports, Rahul Gandhi told party workers that when RSS members speak about PM Modi and Amit Shah, they should respond by saying, “Your Prime Minister is a traitor, your home minister is a traitor, your organisation is a traitor.” He further alleged that the ruling establishment had “worked to sell out India” and attacked the Constitution as well as the ideals of Dr BR Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi.

The Congress leader made the remarks while addressing workers in Rae Bareli, his parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh. His comments quickly became the centre of a heated political exchange between the BJP and Congress.

BJP leaders strongly condemned the statement, saying Rahul Gandhi’s comments crossed democratic boundaries. Party leaders claimed his language echoed narratives used by hostile elements against India and accused him of targeting the Indian state for political gains.

The controversy intensified further after Rahul Gandhi also criticised PM Modi over a viral video showing the Prime Minister gifting a packet of “Melody” candy to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during his visit to Rome. Gandhi reportedly mocked the gesture amid ongoing political debates over economic and governance issues.

The latest exchange adds to the escalating war of words between the BJP and Congress ahead of key political battles in several states and the broader national political contest. Political tensions between the two parties have intensified in recent weeks over issues ranging from governance and foreign visits to economic concerns and constitutional debates.

A major diplomatic and social media row has erupted following the publication of a highly controversial cartoon by Norway’s largest broadsheet newspaper, Aftenposten, which depicts Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “snake charmer”. The illustration has drawn widespread condemnation online, with critics, journalists, and citizens calling it “blatantly racist,” “derogatory,” and deeply rooted in old colonial-era stereotypes.

The cartoon, created by illustrator Marvin Halleraker, accompanied an opinion piece written by staff commentator Frank Rossavik ahead of the Prime Minister’s official visit to Oslo for the India-Nordic summit. The article featured a headline that auto-translates from Norwegian to “A clever and slightly annoying man” (or “A cunning and slightly disturbing man” in alternative translations). In the visual caricature, the Prime Minister of the world’s most populous country is shown cross-legged, holding a fuel-station pump nozzle shaped like a serpent rising out of a basket.

Lingering colonial mindsets in Western media

The “snake charmer” trope has historically been used by European colonial powers as an Orientalist shorthand to portray India as an exotic, primitive, and backward civilization rather than a technologically advancing global power. Netizens quickly highlighted the hypocrisy and irony of the imagery, noting that Western media frequently falls back on archaic visual slurs when they cannot counter India’s modern achievements, such as its massive digital public infrastructure and leading GDP growth rates.

The controversy has also drawn parallels to a similar incident in October 2022, when a prominent Spanish newspaper faced intense backlash for using snake-charmer symbolism to illustrate India’s economic rise. Social media users pointed out the deep irony that the Prime Minister himself has previously spoken at global forums—including his famous 2014 Madison Square Garden speech—about how India has successfully transitioned from being stereotyped as a “land of snake charmers” to a globally recognized powerhouse of technology-driven “mouse charmers”.

Simmering press row in Oslo

The inflammatory cartoon landed right in the middle of an already tense situation during the Prime Minister’s state visit to Norway. Earlier, a confrontation sparked online after a local commentator, Helle Lyng, publicly questioned why the Prime Minister did not open the floor to media queries during a joint press appearance with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Lyng recorded the interaction and posted it on social media platforms, questioning whether international partners should trust New Delhi amid allegations concerning press freedom and human rights.

Responding firmly to the allegations during a subsequent press briefing, India’s Ministry of External Affairs Secretary, Sibi George, vehemently defended the nation’s democratic framework and robust press environment. The diplomat rebuked critics for forming highly distorted opinions based on selective reports published by “ignorant NGOs” without understanding the sheer scale, depth, and institutional complexity of modern India.

He highlighted that Delhi alone possesses at least 200 vibrant 24/7 news channels broadcasting across English, Hindi, and regional languages. The diplomat concluded by reaffirming that the Constitution fully guarantees fundamental rights and provides comprehensive legal remedies to all its citizens, countering the narrative pushed by sections of the European commentariat.

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led central government, saying the party “will be removed from power in Delhi in the coming days” following the Trinamool Congress’s defeat in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.

According to reports, Mamata Banerjee made the remarks during a meeting with TMC MLAs and senior party leaders at her Kalighat residence in Kolkata. She reportedly urged party workers not to lose morale and asked them to continue strengthening the organisation at the grassroots level.

The statement comes days after the BJP secured a historic victory in West Bengal, ending the Trinamool Congress’s long rule in the state. Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari recently took oath as West Bengal’s first BJP chief minister after the party won a clear majority in the Assembly elections.

During the meeting, Mamata Banerjee also reportedly accused the BJP of using pressure politics and “bulldozer culture” against opposition parties. She signalled that the TMC would continue to oppose the BJP aggressively at the national level despite losing power in Bengal.

The political atmosphere in West Bengal has remained tense after the election results. Several TMC leaders have questioned different aspects of the polls, while the BJP has dismissed the allegations and described the result as a mandate for political change in the state.

The BJP’s victory marked a major political shift in Bengal politics. After years of emerging as the principal opposition force, the party finally crossed the majority mark in the 2026 Assembly election and formed the government in the state.

Political observers believe Mamata Banerjee’s latest remarks are aimed at keeping opposition unity alive nationally while the Trinamool Congress focuses on rebuilding its organisation in West Bengal after the electoral defeat.