'Let departed rest in peace': BJP slams Rahul Gandhi over Arun Jaitley 'threatened' him claim; Rijiju asks 'how much can one lie?'

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has triggered a fresh row after claiming that former finance minister Arun Jaitley had "threatened" him for opposing the Modi government’s now-repealed farm laws.

While speaking at the Congress-organised Annual Legal Conclave 2025, Rahul said, “I remember when I was fighting against the farm laws, Arun Jaitley was sent to threaten me. He said, ‘If you continue down this path, opposing the government and fighting us on the farm laws, we’ll have to take action against you.’ I replied, ‘I think you don’t know who you’re talking to. We’re Congress people, we’re not cowards. We never bend. The British couldn’t bend us.’”

The BJP immediately dismissed the claim, pointing out that Jaitley passed away in August 2019—over a year before the farm laws were brought to Parliament. The party accused Rahul of "throwing baseless allegations" even at those who are no longer alive.

'He was a staunch democrat'

Arun Jaitley's son, Rohan Jaitley, led the attack against Rahul and said that it was not in his father's nature to threaten anyone over an opposing view.

Taking to X, Rohan said, "Rahul Gandhi now claims my late father, Arun Jaitley, threatened him over the farm laws. Let me remind him, my father passed away in 2019. The farm laws were introduced in 2020. More importantly, it was not in my father's nature to threaten anyone over an opposing view. He was a staunch democrat and always believed in building consensus. If at all such a situation was to occur, as it often does in politics, he would invite free and open discussions to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution to all. That was simply who he was and that remains his legacy today."

"I would appreciate Rahul Gandhi being mindful while speaking of those not with us. He attempted something similar with Manohar Parrikar ji, politicising his final days, which was in equally poor taste. Let the departed rest in peace," he added.

'How much one can lie?'

Reacting to the Congress leader's claim, Union minister Kiren Rijiju wondered, "How much one can lie?"

He pointed out that Jaitley died over a year before the three farm laws were introduced in Parliament.

"Whole day I was thinking... how much one can lie? Late Arun Jaitley ji died on 24 August 2019! Three agriculture-related bills were introduced in Lok Sabha on 14th Sept 2020. How can late Arun Jaitley ji meet Shri Rahul Gandhi for farm laws when he is no more alive!!!!" Rijiju wrote on X.

'Remarks against Jaitley despicable'

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who succeeded Arun Jaitley in the Union Cabinet after his demise, also attacked Rahul and said that throwing baseless allegations at people is becoming a personality trait in the Congress leader.

"If irresponsibility has a face, it is Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in LS. To throw baseless allegations at people in public life, even those who are no longer with us, is becoming a personality trait in him. His remarks on late Shri Arun Jaitley are despicable. India needs a strong opposition party. An irresponsible leadership hurts his party, Congress, and the country. But does he care?" Sitharaman said.

"This is a blatant lie—what he (Rahul Gandhi) has said about such a respected leader who was finance minister and is no longer among us," she added.

'Rahul only hurts his own credibility'

Meanwhile, SAD MP Naresh Gujral, whose party broke the alliance with BJP over the farm bills, said that Rahul Gandhi is damaging his own reputation with such remarks and advised him to be more careful in future.

"I am truly shocked and very pained to hear about what Mr Gandhi has to say about my late dear and close friend Arun Jaitley ji. The whole world knows that he was a true democrat. Everybody knows he was a gentleman who would never use this kind of threat or this kind of dialogue. When Mr Gandhi says things like that, he only hurts his own credibility," Gujral said.

"I have worked with Mr Jaitley for almost 20 years. You would recall that the Akali Dal was part of the NDA, and we left the government on the issue of the farm laws. No BJP leader ever threatened us, forget about Arun Jaitley, who was a thorough gentleman. So when the Leader of the Opposition speaks like this, he only damages his own credibility. I would urge him to be more careful in the future," he added.

'Shredded all standards of decorum in public life'

Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan also accused Rahul of "shredding all standards of decorum in public life"

"Rahul Gandhi has utterly shredded all standards of decorum in public life. The former Union Minister and senior leader, the late Arun Jaitley ji, is no longer among us. Yet, Rahul Gandhi’s immature and childish, hateful mindset has insensitively spread falsehoods in the name of the late Arun Jaitley ji to further his own agenda, disregarding the facts related to the agricultural laws. The agricultural laws were introduced in Parliament in 2020, while Jaitley ji’s tragic passing occurred in August 2019," Pradhan said.

"Rahul Gandhi’s opportunistic, hateful, and baseless rhetoric has once again proven that Congress members have no connection with sentiments like empathy; their so-called ‘shop of love’ is filled only with ‘hateful words’. Rahul Gandhi’s language is miles away from that of a dignified person; he seems to have forgotten how to speak or conduct himself on a public platform! For this shameful and deplorable language, Rahul Gandhi should immediately apologise to Jaitley ji, his family, and his supporters," he added.