In what has become a familiar flashpoint in his political messaging, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has again stirred controversy by invoking a deceased stalwart, this time, the late Arun Jaitley during a charged speech at the Annual Legal Conclave 2025. But unlike past episodes, this one is drawing sharp backlash not just for ethical concerns, but for a clear factual inaccuracy that critics say undermines Gandhi’s credibility.
‘I remember when I was fighting the farm laws, Arun Jaitley ji was sent to me to threaten me,’ Gandhi declared on stage. He told me, ‘If you carry on opposing the government, we will have to act against you.’ I looked at him and said, ‘I don’t think you know who you’re talking to.’
What might have passed as an audacious anecdote quickly unraveled under scrutiny. Within hours, BJP leaders and political commentators pounced, pointing out that Arun Jaitley passed away in August 2019, while the farm laws were introduced in 2020 and enacted later that year. The timeline alone, they argue, discredits Gandhi’s claim outright.
A Pattern of Posthumous Invocations
The incident fits a larger pattern in Gandhi’s political style: citing deceased political figures in ways that serve his narrative, often without corroboration.
In 2019, Gandhi similarly claimed that late Goa Chief Minister and former Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar had confirmed that Prime Minister Modi bypassed institutional channels in negotiating the Rafale fighter jet deal. Parrikar’s office flatly denied the claim, calling it a distortion of a private meeting and an “exploitative misuse” of his name.
Now, Gandhi faces a more damning charge, not merely of exploiting legacy, but of manufacturing an event that could not have occurred.
Some Congress insiders have attempted to soften the fallout, suggesting that Gandhi may have been referring to a broader atmosphere of pressure or perhaps conflating earlier political conversations with Jaitley in another context.
But the damage is done. The statement, delivered with dramatic flair and defiance left little room for interpretation, and the chronological error is impossible to ignore.
The Ethical Dilemma
The episode raises a broader question that transcends party lines: Is it acceptable to cite private, unverifiable conversations with the deceased in a political battle?
In Indian political culture, invoking legacy is common. Rahul Gandhi himself frequently references his grandmother Indira Gandhi and father Rajiv Gandhi as moral compasses and symbols of sacrifice. But such invocations are about legacy, not specific policy claims or alleged threats.
Backlash from Arun Jaitley’s Son
Rohan Jaitley, son of former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, also took to X (formerly Twitter) saying that his late father Arun Jaitley’s nature was not such that to threaten anyone over an opposing view. He said his father was a staunch democrat who believed in building consensus. He also wrote that Rahul Gandhi should be mindful while speaking of those not with us. He also highlighted that Rahul Gandhi same use politicizing tactics with Late Manohar Parrikar too, which was he said, ‘equally in poor taste’.
Following the outrage, BJP IT Cell Chief Amit Malviya also took to X (formerly Twitter) stating the facts about Arun Jaitley’s death date to be 24 August 2019 and the draft farm bills were brought to the Union Cabinet dated 3rd June 2020, which were later enacted in September 2020.He highlighted that Rahul Gandhi’s speech was factually incorrect and misleading. He also said that one should not rewrite timelines to suit narratives.
Citing Jaitley as a messenger of state intimidation, posthumously and without context is a stark escalation. And when that claim collapses under factual scrutiny, it opens the door not only to political attack, but to public mistrust.
For a leader trying to recast himself as a fearless challenger of the status quo, Rahul Gandhi’s misstep is more than a factual error, it’s a credibility crisis.
In politics, perception is power. But when the facts collapse, so too does the narrative. And in this case, not even the memory of a respected statesman like Arun Jaitley can shield Rahul Gandhi from the consequences of his own words.