The political heat intensified on Monday after the Supreme Court questioned Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over his 2022 comments alleging that China had captured 2,000 sq km of Indian territory. The development triggered sharp reactions from BJP leaders, including MP Kangana Ranaut and national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia, who both accused the Congress leader of repeatedly undermining India’s interests.

Reacting strongly, BJP MP Kangana Ranaut said the court’s move to confront Gandhi on the issue was “welcome and long overdue.”

“Rahul Gandhi always speaks against India—whether it's the economy or our defence forces. He constantly echoes narratives that favour enemy nations. This proves his anti-India mindset,” Ranaut said.

“The Supreme Court has done the right thing by pulling him up. In the future, others should also be careful not to hurt the honour, integrity, and morale of India,” she added.

The Supreme Court’s observation came while hearing a plea in a defamation case filed against Gandhi over his remarks made during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Arunachal Pradesh, where he allegedly claimed that the Chinese army had entered and taken over Indian territory, referencing the December 2022 India-China clash.

BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia also launched a scathing attack, pointing to what he called a pattern of behaviour.

“When our army bravely pushed back Chinese troops, Rahul Gandhi was busy demoralising them by saying China had captured 2,000 sq km of our land and killed 20 soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh,” said Bhatia.

“The Supreme Court’s question is valid—how does he know all this? Was he present on the battlefield? Or is he just repeating foreign propaganda? If he’s a true Indian, how can he say such things?” he asked.

Bhatia further questioned Gandhi’s maturity and fitness to lead the Congress party. “This isn’t the first time he’s shown a tendency to insult India. Time and again, Rahul Gandhi has stood on foreign soil and criticised his own country. The Supreme Court’s remarks put a big question mark on his credibility,” he said.

The apex court, while staying the defamation proceedings, advised Gandhi to file a fresh plea regarding the constitutional challenge to PMLA provisions, even as it asked how he came to know about the specific territorial claims regarding the China standoff.