- September 19, 2026
‘Congress Is Anti-Hindu Party’: BJP Hits Back At Hamid Ansari’s ‘Danger To India’ Remarks
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Former Vice President Hamid Ansari’s remarks on Hindu right-wing communalism, attributed to Nehru, sparked a political row, drawing a sharp response from the BJP.
‘Not Communism, But Hindu Right-Wing’: Hamid Ansari’s Nehru Quote Sparks Row
Former Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari has triggered a political controversy after citing a remark attributed to former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru about the perceived threat posed by Hindu right-wing communalism.
Ansari made the remarks while delivering an address at the third A.G. Noorani Memorial Lecture in New Delhi on September 18. The event, titled “Remembering a Polymath: The Life and Times of Abdul Ghafoor Noorani”, was organised to commemorate the life and work of the late jurist, constitutional expert and author A.G. Noorani.
What Hamid Ansari Said
During his speech, Ansari referred to Noorani’s 2019 book The RSS: A Menace to India. He said Noorani had cited an observation attributed to Nehru from a meeting of Ministry of External Affairs officials, which was recorded by former Foreign Secretary Jagat Singh Gundevia.
Quoting the passage, Ansari said: “The danger to India, mark you, it is not communism, it is Hindu right-wing communalism.”
Ansari also discussed what he described as recent trends challenging the principle of civic nationalism. He said these trends seek to replace civic nationalism with what he termed “cultural nationalism” and argued that such an approach could portray an electoral majority as a religious majority and create distinctions between citizens based on faith.
He further said that some recent manifestations of these trends were concerning and argued that they should be challenged through legal and political means.
BJP Targets Ansari, Congress
Ansari’s remarks drew a sharp response from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari accused Ansari of making the remarks at the direction of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Bhandari also referred to Rahul Gandhi’s 2009 remarks concerning Hindu groups and the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
“Rahul in 2009 had called Hindu groups a bigger threat than LET,” Bhandari said, according to reports. He further alleged that the “Congress is a pro-terror, anti-Hindu party.” These statements were made by Bhandari as part of the BJP’s political response to the controversy.
The BJP’s reaction has added another layer to the political debate surrounding Ansari’s remarks and the competing interpretations of communalism, nationalism and secularism in India.
Ansari’s Earlier Ghazni Remark
The latest controversy comes months after another political row involving Ansari.
In January 2026, BJP leaders criticised Ansari over remarks in an interview in which he referred to historical figures including Mahmud of Ghazni and the Lodi rulers as “Indian looteras”. Ansari was heard saying that figures portrayed as foreign invaders in history books had been Indian looters and that they had not come from outside.
About the Author
Pragya Bahuguna is a digital journalist at News18.com, covering national and international news, including Indian politics and geopolitics, with an interest in environment and climate affairs. She hol…Read More
September 19, 2026, 19:29 IST
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