The Congress party on Tuesday responded strongly to Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia's criticism of Rahul Gandhi's comment about the rights enjoyed by maharajas before independence. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera accused Scindia of forgetting the royal families' allegiance to the British, highlighting the treachery and complicity of many royal families during British rule.

On Monday, Scindia had sharply rebutted Gandhi's statement made during a rally in Mhow, where the former Congress president said that Dalit and tribal people lacked rights before independence, and that only "maharajas and rajas enjoyed rights." Scindia, in his response, urged Gandhi to "first read history, then make statements."

Reacting to this, Khera stated, "History points its finger at you and cries your highness." He pointed out that, had the 26th amendment of the Indian Constitution not been passed, the Gwalior royal family would still be receiving crores of rupees tax-free, referencing the 1950 payment of ₹25,00,000.

Khera also reminded Scindia that while some royal families may have been well-meaning, it didn't excuse the actions of many others. He specifically called attention to the royal family's role in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, implying that the royal family's association with the British Empire had serious consequences for India's independence.

Khera's post on X (formerly Twitter) criticized Scindia’s defense of the royal families, stating, “You kept taking this price for merging into India, till 1971. You may have forgotten the treachery of the royal families and their love for the British, but we all cannot forget.”

Additionally, Khera cited a quote from India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, made during the Constituent Assembly debates on January 22, 1947, in a further attempt to underscore the historical context of India's royal allegiances during the colonial period.