Congress Uttar Pradesh in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam on Saturday denied making derogatory comments against the people of Bihar, rejecting accusations that he targeted the state during a political attack on BJP leader Nitin Nabin. Gautam displayed a video recording of his remarks to dispute the charge, asserting that he never uttered the word 'Bihari' and had instead used the phrase "in becharon ko kuch aata-jaata nahi hai"—characterizing his opponents as unfortunate individuals who know nothing.
Leadership across the Bharatiya Janata Party hit back immediately.
BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad condemned the remarks in fierce terms, accusing Gautam of deliberately disparaging the people of Bihar. Prasad defended the state's intellectual legacy, pointing out that Bihar has produced generations of eminent civil servants, judges, scholars, and national leaders. "We take pride in India, and we are equally proud of being Bihari... Countless leaders, poets, writers, judges, and civil servants have emerged from Bihar. So, Rajendra Pal Gautam, what do you actually know about Bihar?" Prasad said.
Prasad connected the dispute to questions previously raised by Nabin regarding alleged external funding received by the Congress party, accusing Gautam of attempting to deflect scrutiny by claiming rivals read from scripted lines. Prasad directed his ultimatum directly at Congress high command: "Rahul Gandhi, as a Bihari, I urge you to apologise for the statements made by the person you have placed in charge; otherwise, we will elevate this into a national issue."
Union Minister Giriraj Singh escalated the offensive, warning Rahul Gandhi against entering Bihar without tendering a direct apology. Singh accused the Congress leadership of deploying regional representatives to insult Bihari identity, invoking historic icons including Chanakya, Guru Gobind Singh, Gautama Buddha, Mahavira, and Aryabhata. "Stop this abusive behaviour and apologise. Otherwise, if you dare to enter Bihar, we will take action against you," Singh said.
Gautam stood firm on his defense. He demanded punitive action against distributors who circulated the altered quote, insisting that critics review the unedited footage before engineering regional divisions ahead of upcoming political campaigns.