Don't understand BJP's obsession with the dog: Rahul Gandhi on viral video

Gumla (Jharkhand): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said he offered a biscuit to a dog owner to feed the animal after it refused to eat from his hands.

His clarification came after a video showing him offering a biscuit rejected by a dog to a person went viral on social media, with BJP leaders alleging this was how he treated workers of his party.

"The dog was nervous and shivering... When I gave it a biscuit, the dog got scared. Then, I gave the biscuit to the owner, saying it will eat from your hand. Then, the owner gave it and the dog ate the biscuit. So, what is the issue?" Gandhi told reporters when queried about it.

"I don't understand what is the BJP's obsession with the dog?" Gandhi added.

The video was shot in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district on February 4 during the 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra', party spokesperson Rakesh Sinha said.

The owner of the dog, expressing happiness, said, "The dog got clicked with Rahul Gandhi, who also offered it biscuits."

The incident, however, stirred a controversy, with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday night reacting to the viral video, posting on X, "... Not only Rahul Gandhi but the entire family could not make me eat that biscuit. I am a proud Assamese and Indian. I refused to eat and resigned from the Congress."

Sarma was replying to a tweet by BJP Mumbai IT and Social Media Cell @PallaviCT, who said in an X post, ''How shameless. First Rahul Gandhi made @himantabiswaji eat biscuits from the same plate as his pet dog Pidi. Then Congress Khargeji compares party workers to dogs and now, Shehzada gives a biscuit rejected by a dog to a party worker. This is the respect they have for their party workers, supporters and voters?''