Freshly out of the BJP, Shehzad Poonawalla has constantly been attacking Congress, making it clear that his exit from the party does not mean he plans to return to his former political camp. In one such attack on the party on Thursday, Poonawalla said that the “Congress ecosystem” was encouraging right-wing journalists and social media handles to attack him.
On X, Poonawalla claimed the Congress expected him to turn against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP after leaving the party.
“Sab ulta ho gaya, Congress thought that after leaving BJP I will attack [Narendra Modi] Instead i called their Supreme Leader a Pappu & Italo-Indian version of Kim Jong Un,” Poonawalla wrote.
He alleged that the “Congi ecosystem” was encouraging right-wing journalists and social media handles to target him, but claimed it was backfiring because some of the same media platforms continued to publish stories about him.
“Now, Congi ecosystem is paying some right wing journalists and handles to attack me thinking it affects me. But those journos channels are posting 5 stories of mine daily on Instagram for traction. Sab ulta ho gaya,” he said.
‘Sunn lo Rahul Gandhi…’
Poonawalla doubled down on his remarks in a late-night Instagram video on Thursday “Sun lo Rahul Gandhi — My late night message to Rahul Gandhi & CON-gress ecosystem,” he wrote as caption.
{{/usCountry}}Poonawalla doubled down on his remarks in a late-night Instagram video on Thursday “Sun lo Rahul Gandhi — My late night message to Rahul Gandhi & CON-gress ecosystem,” he wrote as caption.
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Explaining what he believed the Congress had expected after his BJP exit, Poonawalla said, “Congress thought that Shehzad had left the BJP. So now this boy will speak strongly against the BJP, and he will also criticise Modi ji.”
Poonawalla claimed that people associated with the Congress ecosystem had reached out to him with messages of solidarity after his exit. “People from their ecosystem sent solidarity messages: 'Brother, this has happened to you, this is very wrong. But the BJP always does this with Muslims.'”
“I said that I will never let Rahul Gandhi become Prime Minister in my lifetime. Because Rahul Gandhi was Pappu, is Pappu and will remain Pappu," he said in the video.
“Congress ka ecosystem meltdown shuru ho gaya. Unhone maatha pakad liya (The Congress ecosystem went into meltdown. They were holding their heads),” he said.
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‘My filter is gone’
Poonawalla also alleged that some right-wing journalists and social media handles were being “motivated” to speak against him. “Congress ka ecosystem itna hadbadaaya hua hai (The Congress ecosystem is so rattled.)"
He claimed that such attacks did not concern him and alleged that the journalists involved had little credibility. Poonawalla also alleged that “2-4 journalists” and social media handles had been given a “supari” (contract) against him.
“But let me tell you one thing, my filter is gone. There is no filter left now. Rahul Gandhi, we will not let you become the Prime Minister of this country. Not in ’29, not in ’34, not in ’39 -- you will never become the Prime Minister of this country, Rahul Gandhi. Listen to this.”
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Poonawalla's long history with Congress
Poonawalla's latest attack on the Congress comes with a political history that goes back to his own association with the party. He joined the Congress in 2008 and became secretary of the Maharashtra Congress unit in 2016. He quit the party in 2017, citing “an unfair process” to choose the Congress president that favoured Rahul Gandhi.
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Before resigning, Poonawalla wrote a lengthy letter to Rahul Gandhi questioning the party's internal functioning and its dynastic politics.
In the letter, he questioned whether the Congress was a “private limited company” or a Bollywood “khan-dan”, while criticising Rahul Gandhi's rise within the party.
Poonawalla also said at the time that he invested years of his “energy and money” in the Congress and wanted a party where “merit and talent counts more than the feudal systems of dynastic political patronage and sycophantic loyalty.” He quit the party in 2017 and joined the BJP.
Why did Shehzad Poonawalla quit BJP?
Poonawalla, who was a BJP national spokesperson, resigned from all party posts and primary membership, citing “pressing emergency financial and personal circumstances” and a decision to return to the private sector.
He initially offered to resign on July 30, but the BJP asked him to reconsider. After a “long and hard contemplation”, he said he decided to go ahead with his resignation.
He also ruled out a return to the Congress. Asked about the possibility, he told NDTV that he would join the party only on the condition that Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were removed and the Congress apologised for Jawaharlal Nehru's actions.