That Rahul Gandhi can turn 'advantage' to disadvantage is a talent he has was proved yet again. This is why critics say the LoP, Lok Sabha is the biggest asset to Team Modi.
Let's presume, for three days, Rahul Gandhi had seized the narrative by his photo-friendly sit ins and protest shows often violating the law itself.
His impromptu protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over SIR irregularities made headlines in anti-Modi English newspapers and news channels.
It was presumably Sickularism zindabad. Glorification started that he has matured ! That he has been fighting.
It was claimed - BJP is already on defensive. Then came his masterstroke. Then came Rahul's post backing Elon Musk, who has gone on a rant over Starlink's commercial launch in India.
By wading into a controversy that touches on national security, Gandhi only handed the BJP precisely the ammunition it needed.
Musk has launched a tirade against the Centre over regulatory hurdles being faced by his satellite broadband service. What started with blaming "certain oligarchs" for "blocking" Starlink's entry in India became more pointed on Thursday as Musk directly named Reliance chairperson Mukesh Ambani.
"Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the Indian government, so why still no license? Is Ambani the real boss of India?" Musk tweeted.
But what Musk seems to have overlooked is the fact that, along with Starlink, even Ambani's Jio Satellite is awaiting security clearance and final regulatory approval. Bharti Group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb is the third entity to have received a satellite communication licence.
"Welcome to India, Elon. Wait till you discover the other guy," the Leader of the Opposition posted.
Rahul must have sensed an opportunity to renew his crony capitalist charge against the Narendra Modi government. However, he seemed to have stepped onto ground the BJP would be happy to fight on - national security.
Reacting to Musk's stinging remarks, the government clarified that all three licensed satellite communication operators were undergoing security assessments.
Security is a matter where the government should not be hurried. More so after Starlink devices had been recovered by Indian agencies in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and from insurgents in Manipur. Musk, however, has consistently maintained that Starlink beams over India were switched off.
BJP QUESTIONS CONGRESS'S HYPOCRISY
The BJP swiftly seized on the opening, accusing Rahul of standing against India's national interests.
It has raised questions about whether Rahul inadvertently allowed a fresh controversy to dilute the momentum the Congress had painstakingly built around the CEC and SIR. Undoubtedly, visuals of Rahul and other Congress MPs being dragged and detained on Delhi's streets gave the party renewed political traction.
Crucially, it also allowed the BJP to "expose" the Congress's hypocrisy on the matter. In 2025, the Congress itself vehemently raised national security concerns over Starlink's possible entry into India.
Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said, "They themselves don't know whether they are going left or right. They first had a problem with a certain person getting a licence. Now, they have allied with that person in terms of why he's not getting the licence." BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari also lashed out at Rahul's double-speak. "Congress in April 2026: Govt is favouring a foreign billionaire. Congress in October 2026: Why is the govt not favouring a foreign billionaire?"
"In matters of India's national interest, Rahul Gandhi always chose to stand against it, and he willingly surrenders!" Bhandari said.
BJP leader Jaiveer Shergill took a playful jibe at Rahul, stressing that his "Intelligence-Link" was "definitely disconnected".
"Odd day: BJP govt is selling nation's interest by giving licence to Starlink. Even day: BJP govt is protecting Indian businessman by not giving licence to Starlink," Shergill said.
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