Singer Sona Mohapatra has called out a wave of online hostility after facing a barrage of abusive comments following her public remarks directed at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding the condition of Himachal Pradesh. Sona shared screenshots of the offensive messages on social media, tagging an account that she stated had repeatedly targeted her, and questioned whether the fierce reaction was tied to her political views.
The controversy began when the singer responded to comments made by Rahul Gandhi regarding the repair of democracy. In a post on X, Sona urged the senior Congress leader to prioritize the state of Himachal Pradesh, which is governed by his party, before focusing on broader democratic reform. She revealed that she was shocked by the state of garbage-strewn hills and choking rivers when she returned to the state after a nine-year absence, challenging Gandhi to make the region a model of good governance and earn the people's mandate rather than just demanding it.
Her message was prompted by a post from Rahul Gandhi, where he asserted that the departure of the Chief Election Commissioner and the current government would pave the way for democratic restoration, accompanying his remarks with a video of his address to INDIA bloc members of parliament. Sona's subsequent critique drew mixed reactions online, with some social media users agreeing that Congress-ruled states should demonstrate effective governance, while others heavily criticized her position.
Highlighting the intensity of the backlash, the singer pointed out that a separate recent reel of hers questioning indiscriminate mining in the hills of Odisha had not attracted a similar level of hate, leading her to question the ideological motives behind the abuse she received. Meanwhile, the political discourse continued on a separate front as Rahul Gandhi accused Delhi Police of brutally assaulting detained Youth Congress protesters, alleging that a student from Kerala had suffered hearing loss after being struck by law enforcement personnel during demonstrations over alleged electoral roll irregularities.