‘Colonial Mindset’: Royal Scions Hit Out At Rahul Gandhi Over ‘Plaint Maharajas’ Remark

Last Updated:November 07, 2024, 09:44 IST

In an opinion piece in The Indian Express, Gandhi said India was silenced by the East India Company and it was silenced not by its business prowess, but by its chokehold.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Royal scions across India criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for referring to their ancestors as “plaint Maharajas”, who were threatened by the East India Company that ruined the nation, saying he had a “superficial understanding of history”. They also pointed out Rahul’s “selective amnesia” that made him forget the privileges he enjoyed due to his lineage.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia, who is from the Scindia family that ruled Gwalior until India’s independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, took to X writing, “Your selective amnesia about your own privilege is a disservice to those truly striving against adversity. Your dissonance only exposes Congress’ agenda further—Rahul Gandhi is no champion of Atmanirbhar Bharat; he is merely a product of an outdated entitlement.”

What The Scions Said

Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari, who is the granddaughter of Man Singh II, the last ruling Maharaja of the princely state of Jaipur during the British Raj in India, called Rahul’s Opinion piece an “attempt to malign the erstwhile royal families of India”.

Vikramaditya Singh, a former Congress leader and the grandson of Maharaja Sir Hari Singh, who was the last ruler of the Indian princely state of Kashmir, and the heir of the Dogra dynasty, called out Rahul Gandhi’s “superficial understanding of history”.

Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, a scion of the 1,500-year-old House of Mewar in Udaipur, slammed the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and said, “Despite being divided by the colonial structure, the royal families have always been a protector of their people and have played an essential role in shaping India’s economic, cultural and political landscape.”

Chaitanya Raj Singh, a member of the family that ruled the erstwhile Kingdom of Jaisalmer, said called Rahul Gandhi’s claims “baseless”.

He said, “The valour and selfless services of our families in upholding our dharma can be seen transparently in the love showered to us by the people all over India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Jaisalmer to Tripura. The brave and ethical are fearless as they have a karma yog approach with integration of humanity and nature.”

Shrimant Gayatri Raje Puar, a BJP leader who was married to the late Maharaja of Dewas Senior Tukoji Rao Pawar, said, “I condemn Rahul Gandhi’s editorial defaming India’s Maharajas, who were pillars of Sanatan Sanskriti. These royals safeguarded our heritage, sovereignty, and culture at great personal cost, giving us “अखंड भारत.” Ignoring this legacy disrespects our heritage.”

Yaduveer Wadiyar, Mysore MLA and a royal scion from the Wadiyar dynasty, said Rahul Gandhi’s lack of knowledge of true history is on constant display, adding that he condemned his “choice of words in the article, and the insinuations made by him”.

What Rahul Gandhi Said In His Op-Ed

The original East India Company wound up over 150 years ago but the raw fear it then generated is back with a new breed of monopolists having taken its place, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday.

He, however, asserted that a “new deal for progressive Indian business is an idea whose time has come”.

In an opinion piece in The Indian Express, Gandhi said India was silenced by the East India Company and it was silenced not by its business prowess, but by its chokehold.

The Company choked India by partnering with, bribing, and threatening more pliant maharajas and nawabs, he pointed out.

“It controlled our banking, bureaucratic, and information networks. We didn’t lose our freedom to another nation; we lost it to a monopolistic corporation that ran a coercive apparatus,” he said.

The original East India Company wound up over 150 years ago, but the raw fear it then generated is back, he claimed.

A new breed of monopolists has taken its place, amassing colossal wealth, even as India has become far more unequal and unfair for everybody else, Gandhi said.

“Our institutions no longer belong to our people, they do the bidding of monopolists. Lakhs of businesses have been decimated and India is unable to generate jobs for her youth,” the former Congress president said.

Sharing the article on X, Gandhi said, “Choose your India: Play-Fair or Monopoly? Jobs or Oligarchies? Competence or Connections? Innovation or Intimidation? Wealth for many or the few?” “I write on why a New Deal for Business isn’t just an option. It is India’s future,” he said, sharing his opinion piece.