This episode proves once again what political observers have been saying for decades the Congress party is not a democratic organisation, but a tightly controlled family enterprise run for the interests of the Gandhis. Senior leaders who dare to question the dynasty whether it’s KN Rajanna today, or Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kapil Sibal, and others in the past are sidelined, humiliated, or shown the door.
KN Rajanna did not insult the party. He did not praise the opposition. He merely asked a valid question: why did the Congress leadership remain silent when it had the power to address voter list discrepancies before the Lok Sabha elections? If this is enough to end a minister’s career, what does it say about the Congress party’s tolerance for dissent?
Inside the Congress, the unwritten rule is clear Rahul Gandhi can make any accusation, no matter how baseless, and the party will blindly echo it. But if a leader challenges him, even with facts, they must be politically eliminated. This time, the victim is a Dalit leader who had served the people with courage and honesty.
Morning Call Turns Into Political Execution
On the morning of the sacking, AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal called Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to convey the high command’s displeasure over Rajanna’s remarks. Venugopal insisted that the minister be dropped immediately. Siddaramaiah initially suggested delaying the decision until the ongoing assembly session ended, proposing to take Rajanna’s resignation after ten days. But the plan was vetoed when Rahul Gandhi personally stepped in. Sources reveal that the conversation between Siddaramaiah and Rahul Gandhi was short but sharp. Rahul Gandhi’s directive was reportedly blunt: “I am not talking about his resignation, sack him.” There was no discussion, no hearing of Rajanna’s side just a swift political execution ordered from Delhi. By 1 pm, Rajanna was informed of his removal, and Siddaramaiah’s office sent the dismissal recommendation to the Governor, formalising the ouster.
Punished for Speaking Facts, Not Falsehoods
The irony is glaring. Rajanna’s remarks did not target Congress voters or its leadership’s ideology they merely pointed out a procedural lapse. He stated that since Congress was in power in Karnataka during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, it was their duty to verify the voter list before polling. In other words, if there were irregularities, the responsibility lay with the Congress-led state government. This factual statement was enough to enrage the high command, because it exposed Rahul Gandhi’s own immature political conduct of making unverified accusations against the Election Commission. By removing Rajanna, the Congress has sent a chilling message: truth has no place in the party if it embarrasses the dynasty. For Dalit and Scheduled Caste leaders within Congress, the message is even more dangerous your position is never safe if you dare to speak independently.
BJP Slams Congress for Humiliating Dalit Leadership
Karnataka BJP State President Vijayendra Yediyurappa wasted no time in condemning the decision. In a strongly worded statement, he called out the Congress high command for sidelining a senior Dalit leader who had served as the voice of oppressed communities. Vijayendra accused Rahul Gandhi of behaving erratically, making baseless allegations against the Election Commission, and then punishing anyone within the party who refused to blindly agree. “Rajanna, who held a mirror to the Congress party’s flaws and fearlessly exposed internal oppression, has been sacked because he became a thorn in the side of the high command,” Vijayendra said. He further alleged that the Congress party’s “culture of strangulating democracy” is alive and well, and that the suppression of Scheduled Caste leadership continues under Rahul Gandhi’s watch.
Vijayendra also linked the sacking to a broader pattern of Congress arrogance and neglect of public welfare. “With its arrogance of self-interest, nepotism, corruption, and a series of scandals, the Congress in Karnataka has forgotten the welfare of the people. It focuses solely on power while neglecting the interests of the state. Now, through this conspiracy to politically eliminate a leader from the oppressed community, the Congress party’s true face stands exposed once again,” he remarked.
A Dangerous Precedent
Rajanna’s removal is not just about one leader losing his position it sets a dangerous precedent for how Dalit voices are treated within the Congress ecosystem. At a time when the party claims to champion social justice, it has chosen to humiliate a Scheduled Caste leader for simply stating a fact. This is not the first time Congress has acted against its own leaders for questioning the dynasty’s decisions. From sidelining senior veterans to forcing out independent-minded ministers, the pattern is unmistakable. In Rajanna’s case, the punishment was even more severe because his identity as a Dalit leader should have warranted protection, not persecution. Instead, Rahul Gandhi’s diktat ensured that a man who had dedicated his political life to speaking for the marginalised was unceremoniously thrown out for daring to speak the truth.
Congress Dynasty Above Dalit Representation
Rahul Gandhi’s decision to sack KN Rajanna is a blunt reminder that in the Congress party, loyalty to the family outweighs loyalty to the truth, to the people, and even to the cause of social justice. By removing a Dalit leader who was only fulfilling his democratic duty of questioning lapses, the Congress has shown its intolerance for dissent and its disregard for representation from oppressed communities. This is not just a political misstep it is an insult to Karnataka’s Dalit population and a betrayal of the very principles the party claims to uphold. Once again, the Congress has proven that when the dynasty feels challenged, no leader, no matter how respected or how rooted in the community, is safe.