New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Bansuri Swaraj made a political statement on Monday, April 21, during a Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting on 'One Nation, One Election' by carrying a tote bag that read “National Herald Ki Loot,” in bold letters.
The move is being seen as a sharp jab at the Gandhi family and a direct retort to Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s own history of using accessories as political messaging tools.
Swaraj's appearance at the Parliament Annexe with the bag comes amid the ongoing probe against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case. Both have been chargesheeted by the Enforcement Directorate over alleged money laundering involving assets worth Rs 2,000 crore.
Have a look at her video here:
Bag Politics Escalates in Parliament
This isn’t the first time handbags have stirred political reactions. In December, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was seen carrying a bag with “Palestine” written on it, triggering strong reactions from BJP leaders who accused her of selective silence on issues concerning minorities, especially Bangladeshi Hindus. Defending herself, Vadra said, “Who is going to decide what clothes I wear now?... That’s typical patriarchy... I will wear what I want,” as quoted by NDTV.
The next day, she responded by carrying another bag that read “Stand with Bangladeshi Hindus and Christians,” referring to communal violence in Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina’s electoral defeat.
In a counter to that, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi gifted Vadra a tote that read “1984” in bold red letters, a reminder of the anti-Sikh riots that followed Indira Gandhi’s assassination. According to Sarangi, Vadra accepted the bag and walked away without comment.
