A political row has erupted after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s “hydrogen bomb” remark during the conclusion of the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Patna, with both the BJP and JD(U) launching strong counterattacks.

JD(U) Secretary Saket Singh criticised the comment, calling it “nonsensical and disrespectful” to the people of Bihar. “Rahul Gandhi has become a subject of mockery. 

He talks about atom bombs and hydrogen bombs, but the people of Bihar will reject him just like last time,” Singh said. He also alleged that Gandhi has previously disrespected leaders like Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur and claimed that even Congress allies were questioning the relevance of the yatra.

BJP spokesperson Gaurav Vallabh also condemned the statement, alleging that Gandhi was trying to “mislead the youth” and “undermine the Constitution.” Vallabh said, “Rahul Gandhi talks about vote theft while wanting to give away the rights of Bihar’s youth to infiltrators. The Congress and RJD should not speak of corruption, as Bihar has not forgotten the fodder scam and the land-for-jobs scandal.”

The controversy began after Gandhi, addressing a large gathering on the yatra’s final day, remarked: “After the atom bomb of vote theft, now a hydrogen bomb is coming. Its impact will be hundreds or thousands of times more powerful.”

Congress leaders have defended the statement, saying it was meant to highlight what they allege is a systematic attempt by the BJP to disenfranchise marginalised communities through the ongoing revision of electoral rolls.

Launched from Sasaram on August 17, the Voter Adhikar Yatra covered more than 110 Assembly constituencies across 25 districts of Bihar, aiming to raise awareness about what the Congress describes as an assault on citizens’ voting rights.