Overview

• Indian Overseas Congress leader Sam Pitroda urged a neighbour-first foreign policy and said he felt at home in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.
• He appealed to Gen-Z to back Rahul Gandhi’s call to protect democracy, framing elections as decisive for younger generations.
• BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari denounced the remarks, pressed the Gandhi family to apologise and claimed their silence signalled approval.
• Pitroda alleged institutions and the judiciary are captured, rejected BJP’s attempt to link Congress to George Soros and questioned claims of India as a ‘Vishwaguru.’
• In Bihar, Congress has pivoted to a ‘vote theft’ narrative tied to voter-list revisions, with Rahul Gandhi presenting alleged irregularities as some party figures worry core issues like jobs and social justice are being eclipsed.