'Congress Gave Orders To Attack': Ex-MP, Who Called Rahul Gandhi 'Darpok', Alleges Threat To Life

Last Updated:January 27, 2026, 08:48 IST

Shakeel Ahmad claims Congress leadership ordered attacks on his Patna and Madhubani homes after he called Rahul Gandhi a coward.

Shakeel Ahmad had quit the Congress after the 2025 Bihar assembly elections. (Image: PTI/File)

Former Congress MP Shakeel Ahmad on Monday alleged a threat to his life, days after he called party leader and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi a “darpok" (coward) and an “insecure" politician. Ahmad alleged that he had received information from within the Congress that the party’s national leadership had ordered attacks on his houses in Patna and Madhubani on Tuesday, allegedly under the guise of burning his effigies.

“Just now, some Congress colleagues have secretly informed me that the national leadership of the Congress has issued orders to the Bihar Congress / Youth Congress that tomorrow, on 27 January, an attack should be carried out on my residences in Patna and Madhubani under the pretext of burning an effigy," Ahmad wrote in a post on X late Monday night.

“This is against the principles of democracy," he added.

In another post, he shared a screenshot of a WhatsApp group message in which a member urged others to burn his effigies for criticizing Rahul Gandhi.

“Now my information has been proven absolutely correct. Many thanks to the old associates of Congress. There is a saying in our Bihar: Old friends are the ones who come in handy. Is this happening without Rahul ji’s orders?" he asked.

The former Union minister and ex-Congress general secretary further claimed it was “very obvious" that Rahul Gandhi was behind the move.

Ahmad, a three-time MLA and two-term MP from Bihar, had quit the Congress after the 2025 Bihar assembly elections. Last Saturday, he accused Gandhi of sidelining senior leaders and promoting only those who praise him. He also criticised Gandhi for losing the Amethi Lok Sabha seat while serving as Congress president, arguing that he failed to retain a constituency built by his family.

“Rahul Gandhi is a coward and an insecure person. He does not get that ‘boss feeling’ before anyone who is senior to him or has a big public support. He is uncomfortable with any such person and is thus dictatorial and not democratic," Ahmad told PTI.

The BJP seized on Ahmad’s remarks, with spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla saying, “Shakeel Ahmad has exposed Rahul Gandhi," and accusing the Congress leader of having a “dictatorial" mindset similar to the Emergency era.

The Congress hit back sharply, with party whip Manickam Tagore branding Ahmad a “betrayer" and a “Jaichand." In a post on X, Tagore accused Ahmad of attacking Gandhi for political gain, saying such criticism came at a time when the party needed unity.

“Let’s be clear: These attacks are not about ideology or concern. They are about TV time, relevance and pleasing new masters. This is not new, but this is a new batch of betrayers. Some are ministers in the Modi government, some MPs, one even a present CM (chief minister), many jobless who crossed over. Welcome to the 2026 batch of Jayachands," Tagore said.

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