Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT Cell chief Amit Malviya on Friday accused Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and party leader Sandeep Dikshit of making remarks that, according to him, were "far more disturbing" than a mere "locker-room conversation".
Malviya's remarks came after an exchange between Gandhi and Dikshit at the Rachnatmak Congress National Convention, where the Congress leader criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign policy and took a dig at his interactions with international leaders.
Gandhi said the government's responsibility was to safeguard the country's interests rather than "hugging politicians". He then hugged Dikshit on stage.
Dikshit responded by referring to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, asking Gandhi: "Meloni samajh ke toh nahi pakda tha? (You weren’t hugging me thinking I was Meloni?)"
Reacting to the exchange, Malviya said the remarks reflected something more serious than what could be dismissed as a "locker-room conversation".
In a post on X, he wrote: "Rahul Gandhi and Sandeep Dikshit’s remarks reveal something far more disturbing than a mere “locker-room conversation."
Malviya said the issue was the manner in which women in public life were being portrayed, arguing that they were being reduced to objects rather than being viewed as professionals, leaders and individuals deserving dignity.
"Let us not sanitise this perversion with euphemisms. The crassness lies precisely in the way women in public life are reduced to objects of gratification rather than being seen as professionals, leaders and individuals deserving of dignity. This is not about being politically incorrect. It is about basic decency," he said.
He further criticised the conduct of influential public figures when speaking about women.
"When men who occupy public life speak about women in such a degrading manner, they expose a deeply warped mindset. Women are not props for their fantasies, nor are they fair game for vulgar sexual commentary. There should be no ‘locker-room’ excuse for this. Some conduct is simply abhorrent," Malviya added.
Rahul Gandhi and Sandeep Dikshit’s remarks reveal something far more disturbing than a mere “locker-room conversation.”
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 13, 2026
Let us not sanitise this perversion with euphemisms. The crassness lies precisely in the way women in public life are reduced to objects of gratification…
In another post, Malviya described the Congress leaders' remarks as "disgraceful and slanderous," and said "dragging a foreign woman leader into a defamatory public taunt shows just how low the Congress has sunk."
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also criticised the Congress and Rahul Gandhi over what he described as "objectionable remarks" concerning a woman head of state of a friendly country.
Sarma said the comments were not only politically indecent but also amounted to an attempt to harm India's foreign relations.
In a post on X, he said: "Congress' dynastic leadership has once again crossed every line of decency - making objectionable remarks about a woman head of state who leads a friendly country, while women on the stage and in the audience laugh along", he said.
He added: "This is not merely political indecency; it is also an attempt to sabotage India's foreign relations. When disrespect towards women becomes a source of amusement, it speaks volumes about the culture being encouraged."
BJP MP and spokesperson Sambit Patra also attacked Gandhi and Dikshit over their comments about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart Meloni.
Patra described the language used during the exchange as "shameful" and criticised what he called the declining standard of Gandhi's political conduct.
"The level of Rahul Gandhi’s language and political conduct is deteriorating day by day. The kind of objectionable and indecent language used against constitutional and esteemed figures such as the country’s Prime Minister and Italy’s Head of State is shameful for any civilized democratic and political culture", Patra said.
The Congress, meanwhile, has defended Rahul Gandhi amid the BJP's criticism, arguing that the Leader of Opposition had not mentioned Meloni by name.
