BJP Slams Hamid Ansari for Terming Mahmud of Ghazni ‘Indian’, Accuses Congress of Distorting History
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday launched a sharp attack on former Vice President Hamid Ansari following his controversial statement characterising Mahmud of Ghazni, the Sultan of the Ghaznavid Empire, as Indian. The party alleged he was rewriting history and trying to downplay the violent raids on India.
Ansari, who held the office of Vice President under the Congress-led UPA administrations between 2007 and 2012, and once more from 2012 to 2017, stated that historical personalities traditionally labelled as foreign invaders in educational texts were actually Indians.
“Those whom we describe in our textbooks as foreign invaders—whether it is the Lodhis or Ghazni—were all Indian plunderers. They did not come from outside,” Ansari said.
Responding strongly, BJP National Spokesperson CR Kesavan challenged the Congress party to clarify its stance on Ansari’s comments and alleged the party was trying to gloss over violent chapters of the past.
' Ghazni was not a foreign invader, he was Indian' ! Indeed shocking remarks by former Vice President Shri. Hamid Ansari ji, who was the Congress led UPA govt’s choice for the post of Vice President, not once but twice. Does the Congress leadership and LOP Rahul Gandhi agree with… pic.twitter.com/9xXPk8SLea
— C.R.Kesavan (@crkesavan) January 30, 2026
In a post on X, Kesavan termed the statement “shocking” and pointed out that Ansari had been selected by the Congress-led UPA for the Vice President’s position on two occasions.
“Ghazni was not a foreign invader, he was Indian’! Indeed shocking remarks by former Vice President Shri Hamid Ansari ji, who was the Congress led UPA govt’s choice for the post of Vice President, not once but twice. Does the Congress leadership and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi agree with such whitewashing of mercenary brutal raids as mere domestic acts, which demolished Hindu temples and murdered thousands?” Kesavan said.
He contended that Islamic incursions starting in the early eighth century had deliberately destroyed Hindu places of worship.
Kesavan went on to say that Mahmud of Ghazni launched 17 raids into India during the 11th century, in which he asserted prominent temples including those at Mathura and Somnath were targeted.
He also connected the matter to the Congress party’s earlier resistance to rebuilding the Somnath temple.
Shehzad Poonawala similarly criticised the Congress regarding Ansari’s statement, claiming the party habitually glorifies those hostile to Hindus while minimising violence inflicted on the community.
Speaking to ANI, Poonawala said, “The Congress ecosystem always eulogises Hindu haters. Whoever attacks or commits atrocities on Hindus is always subjected to whitewashing by the Congress ecosystem. Now, Hamid Ansari says that Ghazni was not a cruel person, that he was just an Indian. It shows the Hindu hatred they have in their mind.”
Poonawala also broadened his attack to include Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, charging him with showing disrespect to constitutional bodies and national customs by being absent from significant official functions.
“‘Sena and Samvidhan ka apmaan is Congress’s pehchaan’. Rahul Gandhi feels his family is above the Constitution and the Army. For him, ‘parivar tantra’ is more important than ‘samvidhan tantra’,” he alleged.