A recent political controversy has erupted following a video featuring which has drawn significant criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The video allegedly captures Ajoy Kumar referring to Sikkim as a "neighbouring nation," a statement that has sparked outrage and accusations from the BJP. Kumar has since clarified that his remark was an unintentional slip of the tongue, and he has criticized the BJP for exaggerating the incident.
The incident took place during a press conference at the Congress party headquarters, where Kumar was addressing various issues, including a Rs 400 crore scam involving the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and the VIPPL company. During his speech, Kumar inadvertently referred to Sikkim as a neighbouring country while discussing India's relations with its neighbours. This gaffe quickly circulated on social media, drawing criticism from various quarters.
In response to the backlash, Kumar took to the social media platform X to clarify his statement. "Yesterday in my Press conference on 'SAIL 400 crore scam', when I was speaking on the deteriorating relations with our neighboring countries, I accidentally took the name of an Indian state," Kumar explained. He expressed regret for the mistake and issued an apology for the unintended error. Despite his clarification, the BJP has continued to question the Congress party's intentions and mindset.
Watch: On Congress leader Ajoy Kumar's remark referring to Sikkim as a 'neighboring country,' BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla says, "The Congress party is following in the footsteps of Jinnah. Jinnah wanted an Islamic state and the partition of India and Congress is… pic.twitter.com/0psakE31Xq
— IANS (@ians_india) July 2, 2025
BJP's accusations
Darjeeling MP Raju Bista was among those who criticized Kumar's statement, suggesting that it was not merely a slip of the tongue but indicative of a deeper issue within the Congress party. "Time and again, Congress leaders have made remarks or taken stances that appear to question the integrity of our nation's territorial unity," Bista stated.
He emphasized that referring to Sikkim, which is celebrating 50 years of statehood, as a neighbouring country was not only factually incorrect but also an insult to the people of Sikkim and their identity as Indian citizens.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also weighed in on the controversy, describing Kumar's remarks as an insult to Sikkim and the entire Northeast region. He accused the Congress party of having a longstanding hostility toward the Northeast and likened their actions to those of Jinnah, who advocated for the division of India.
"Congress is following the footsteps of Jinnah. It is a 'Jinnahwadi' party. Just like Jinnah wanted that there should be an Islamic state and division of India, the Congress party advocates for a Sharia Islamic state in some parts, and it wants the 'tukde tukde' of Bharat," Poonawalla asserted.
Kumar, however, has dismissed these accusations and criticized the BJP for focusing on his minor error rather than addressing more pressing issues facing the country. He questioned why the BJP was not holding press conferences on other significant matters, such as the alleged Rs 400 crore scam in SAIL, the assault of a passenger on the New Delhi-Bhopal Vande Bharat Express by supporters of a BJP MLA, and an incident involving a BJP MLA slapping a Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM).
