Congress leader Nana Patole compares Rahul Gandhi with Lord Ram, triggers row

Maharashtra Congress leader Nana Patole on Thursday (January 1, 2026) drew flak for his statement comparing Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi with Lord Ram, saying he was doing the work of Lord Ram, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised him for flattery towards its leader. 

“Rahul Gandhi is doing the same work as Lord Ram did, working for vulnerable, oppressed and marginalised people. He has been travelling across the country, trying to understand people and doing the work of Lord Ram, instead of clicking photos and showing off,” said Mr. Patole, responding to a question of why Mr. Gandhi had not visited the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

The statement sparked political debate, and the BJP labelled him a sycophant. Maharashtra Assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar called his remarks “unfortunate”, saying, “No one takes him seriously. Shri Ram is our deity; he cannot be compared with anyone. So the public will teach him a lesson in the upcoming elections.”  

NCP MP Sunil Dattatray Tatkare also slammed Mr. Patole for making such statements and called it “irresponsible”, and probably the impact of back-to-back defeat in elections, while Jagadguru Swami Rambhadracharya said, “This is sycophancy, that person has no idea about Lord Ram, and there cannot be any comparison between Shri Ram and Rahul Gandhi”.

However, this was not the first time that Mr. Patole made an analogy, comparing Lord Ram and Mr. Gandhi. Three years ago, he also made similar remarks. Mr. Patole’s statement also outraged political leaders at the Centre and in other States. 

Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat took a potshot at the Congress, and said it was a party that had lost its identity, and these were the same people who filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, saying Lord Ram was an imaginary personality. Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) president Tej Pratap Yadav from Bihar said, “There is a huge difference between God and human, so no comparison can happen here. Congress thinks they are God, but that cannot happen.” 

Meanwhile, Congress leaders came in support, saying the BJP wants to divert the public from real issues, so they make a fuss out of anything. “All they do is Mandir-Masjid, Hindu-Muslims, pit one State against another. Such a mindset of the BJP will get the right answer from the public in the elections,” said Congress leader Aslam Sheikh. NCP-SP Rajya Sabha member Fauzia Khan said, “Lord Ram was a symbol of justice, and Ram Rajya means treating with equality…and any person in the country, who is not spreading hatred, giving a message of love and unity, is moving towards Ram Rajya”.