Vijay Wadettiwar, a senior Congress leader from Maharashtra, has triggered a political storm after appearing to draw a parallel between the attempted attack on US President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' Dinner and the public mood in India.
Vijay Wadettiwar, the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, made the remarks at a press conference in Nagpur on Monday.
Speaking in Hindi, he invoked the phrase "Jaisi karni waisi bharni" — loosely translated as "you reap what you sow" — before launching into a broader criticism of Trump and, by extension, what he called a parallel trajectory of political damage at home.
"The way he has disturbed each country in the world despite being in the top post... Today, Trump has ruined the US to fulfil his own plans," Wadettiwar said.
"Just as it is happening in our country, it happened there as well. So, this was bound to happen. The same feeling exists among the people today that the whole of India is also moving on the path of ruin." he added.
The remarks drew immediate condemnation from the BJP. Shehzad Poonawalla, BJP'S Spokesperson, posted a pointed rebuttal on X, accusing Wadettiwar of justifying political violence, calling it a prayer for a "similar repeat of what happened in the US."
ALSO READ: Heat Wave Warning: IMD Issues Alert For These States Amid Rising Temperatures — Check Details
Poonawalla framed the comments within a broader pattern, citing Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's past remarks comparing BJP and RSS to "poisonous snakes," and slogans referencing PM Modi's death. "This is a serial offender," he wrote. "This is Nafrat ke Bhaijan, not Muhabbat Ki Dukaan. This is ANC — anti national congress."
Wadettiwar has not issued a clarification. The Congress party had not officially responded at the time of writing.
ALSO READ: Mamata Banerjee's Bhabanipur Visit Sparks Buzz After PM Modi's Campaign Trail
The row comes days after the attack on Trump at the Washington Hilton, in which a California man, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, allegedly fired a shotgun at a Secret Service agent at a security checkpoint before being subdued and arrested. One agent escaped serious injury owing to a bulletproof vest.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.