‘Stick To Facts’: BJP Rebuffs Rahul Gandhi’s Claim Of Arun Jaitley Threatening Him, Demands Apology | Politics News

Last Updated:August 02, 2025, 17:25 IST

Rahul Gandhi claimed late Arun Jaitley threatened him over farm laws, sparking BJP’s backlash. BJP leaders called Gandhi’s remarks false, noting Jaitley died in 2019.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the party’s Annual Legal Conclave, in New Delhi (PTI)

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday stirred a massive political row after he claimed that former Union Minister late Arun Jaitley had threatened him for opposing the now-scrapped farm laws.

The BJP soon flagged the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition’s bizarre claim as “fake news” and asked him to stick to facts instead of rewriting timelines to “suit narratives”.

Notably, the contentious three farm laws were introduced by the Centre in June 2020 as an ordinance, nearly a year after Arun Jaitley’s death in August 2019, after a prolonged illness.

What Rahul Gandhi Claimed?

While addressing the Annual Legal Conclave 2025 earlier today, the Congress leader claimed that the government had sent the BJP stalwart to ‘threaten’ him for opposing the farm laws.

“I remember when I was fighting the farm laws, Arun Jaitley ji was sent to me to threaten me. He told me, ‘If you carry on opposing the govt, fighting the farm laws, we will have to act against you’. I looked at him and said, ‘I don’t think you have an idea who you are talking to’,” Gandhi said.

BJP’s Response

Rahul Gandhi’s remarks drew the BJP’s ire, who demanded a public apology for his “new lie”.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman slammed the Congress leader for pressing baseless allegations at a person who is no more alive. She further said that his remarks against Arun Jaitley are despicable.

“If irresponsibility has a face, it is @RahulGandhi, Leader of Opposition in LS. To throw baseless allegations at people in public life, even those who are no longer with us, is becoming a personality trait in him. His remarks on late Shri. Arun Jaitley is despicable. India needs a strong opposition party. An irresponsible leadership hurts his party @INCIndia and the country. But does he care?,” she said in a post on X.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also launched a scathing attack on the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition for disrespecting Arun Jaitley.

“Rahul Gandhi has completely shredded all standards of decorum in public life. Former Union Minister and senior leader, the late Arun Jaitley ji, is no longer among us. However, Rahul Gandhi’s immature and childish, hateful mentality has insensitively spread lies in the name of the late Arun Jaitley ji to further his own agenda, disregarding the facts related to the agricultural laws,” he said in a post on X.

“Rahul Gandhi’s language is miles away from that of a dignified person; he has forgotten how to speak and conduct himself on a public platform! For this shameful and condemnable language, Rahul Gandhi should immediately apologize to Jaitley ji, his family, and his supporters,” he added.

BJP MP Anurag Thakur said that Congress and lies can’t be separated. He further urged him to apologise for his blatant remarks.

“Congress and lies can’t be separated. The only truth about Congress is that they always lie. Arjun Jaitley ji was a leader who earned immense respect across parties… Farm laws came a year after Arun Jaitley’s demise. Rahul Gandhi is facing defamation cases in several courts; he has apologised on several occasions. Rahul Gandhi must apologise to Arun Jaitley’s family, the BJP, and the people of the country,” he said as quoted by news agency PTI.

“…This is a blatant lie what he (Rahul Gandhi) has said about such a respected leader who was Finance Minister and is no longer among us,” BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said as quoted by PTI.

In a swift rebuttal, BJP IT Cell chief Malviya said, “Rahul Gandhi claims that Arun Jaitley approached him to water down his opposition to the 2020 farm laws. Let’s set the record straight — Arun Jaitley ji passed away on August, 24 2019.”

“The draft Farm Bills were brought to the Union Cabinet on June 3, 2020. The laws were enacted in September 2020,” he said, adding any discussion, whether in support or opposition of the Bill, began after “these developments”.

“To suggest Arun Jaitley ji approached him for anything at all is factually incorrect and misleading,” Malviya said, adding, “Let’s stick to facts and not rewrite timelines to suit narratives,” he added.

Rohan Jaitley Fact Checks Rahul Gandhi

Arun Jaitley’s son Rohan Jaitley also took to X and slammed Gandhi over his remarks, asking the Congress leader to “let the departed Rest in Peace”.

“Rahul Gandhi now claims my late father, Arun Jaitley, threatened him over the farm laws. Let me remind him, my father passed away in 2019. The farm laws were introduced in 2020,” he said.

“More importantly, it was not in my father’s nature to threaten anyone over an opposing view. He was a staunch democrat and always believed in building consensus,” Rohan Jaitley added.

“If at all such a situation was to occur, as it often does in politics, he would invite free and open discussions to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution to all. That was simply who he was and that remains his legacy today. I would appreciate Rahul Gandhi being mindful while speaking of those not with us. He attempted something similar with Manohar Parrikar ji, politicising his final days which was in equally poor taste,” he added.

The Three Farm Laws

The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020, were introduced in June 2020 as ordinances and were later passed in Parliament in September 2020.

They were repealed in November 2021 after massive protests by some farmers on the borders of the national capital.

(With inputs from agencies)

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben…Read More

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben… Read More

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