A political controversy erupted on Tuesday after an old video of All India Students' Association (AISA) president Neha Bora making allegations about sexual assaults inside temples surfaced on social media, prompting sharp criticism from the BJP as well as leaders of Congress allies Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Samajwadi Party.
The BJP accused Bora of insulting Hindu priests and sought to link her remarks to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, alleging that her statements reflected an anti-Hindu mindset. However, the criticism was not confined to the ruling party, with Opposition leaders also objecting to what they described as sweeping generalisations about religious institutions and communities.
The undated video was circulated by BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari. In the clip, Bora criticised what she called the Brahmanical system and argued that women, including Brahmin women, were vulnerable to sexual violence.
She alleged that priests committed rapes inside temples and referred to the Unnao and Kathua sexual assault cases while making her argument.
๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ, ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ธ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ต๐๐น
BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia accused Bora of insulting Hindu priests and questioned what he described as selective criticism of religious institutions.
Bhatia also referred to Bora's earlier comments about drawing inspiration from student-led protests in Bangladesh, which preceded the removal of Sheikh Hasina from power in August 2024.
He alleged that Bora's remarks reflected hostility towards Hindu religious institutions and challenged her to make similar allegations concerning religious functionaries belonging to other communities.
Bhandari, meanwhile, described Bora as Rahul Gandhi's poster girl and accused the Congress leadership of encouraging an ideological campaign against Hindu traditions.
He alleged that her comments were consistent with what he described as the Congress's anti-Hindu political approach. The accusations were political claims made by BJP leaders.
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ธ๐ฎ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐
Former Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also criticised Bora's statements, saying it was unfortunate that the student leader had made generalised allegations about temples, priests and the safety of Brahmin women.
Chaturvedi said she believed the video might be old but maintained that the remarks reflected a troubling approach towards caste and religion.
She questioned the appropriateness of using derogatory language about an entire community and argued that radical thinking, whether associated with the Left or the Right, was harmful to the country.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, however, said she would like to speak with Bora personally and encourage her to approach social issues without viewing everything through the prism of caste or religion.
Chaturvedi described Bora as a talented and capable young activist who should use her abilities more constructively.
๐ฆ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ๐ท๐๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐๐ผ ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐
Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Rai joined the criticism, saying sweeping allegations against any caste, religion or community were inappropriate.
Rai argued that individuals should be held accountable for their actions rather than attributing wrongdoing to an entire religious group.
He also warned that such statements could deepen social divisions and provide opportunities for political parties to exploit religious differences.
The criticism from Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Samajwadi Party was significant because both parties are associated with the Opposition INDIA bloc, whose leaders have appeared alongside Bora at recent political protests.
๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐น๐ฎ๐ถ๐บ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐
Meanwhile, Delhi-based Supreme Court advocate Amita Sachdeva said she had submitted a police complaint against Bora at the Sansad Marg police station.
Sachdeva alleged that the remarks could create communal disharmony and promote hostility between religious communities.
She argued that freedom of expression did not justify making sweeping allegations against an entire group of religious functionaries.
There was no immediate confirmation that a First Information Report had been registered in connection with the complaint.
๐ช๐ต๐ผ ๐ถ๐ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ต๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ?
Bora, 29, is a doctoral scholar in Theatre and Performance Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University's School of Arts and Aesthetics and the national president of AISA, the student organisation associated with CPI(ML) Liberation.
She gained prominence during student protests and subsequently became a visible participant in demonstrations concerning alleged electoral roll irregularities and demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Bora has also appeared alongside Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during Opposition protests, including a march to the Supreme Court on October 12.
Her growing visibility at Opposition events has drawn attention from BJP leaders, who have sought to associate her statements with the Congress leadership.
The latest controversy centres on whether Bora's criticism of caste-based discrimination and sexual violence amounted to an unjustified generalisation about religious institutions. While the BJP has used the video to attack Congress, leaders from within the Opposition alliance have also distanced themselves from the language used in her remarks.