Rahul Gandhi Attacks Modi Regime’s Elite Control, Asks Why ‘Nepo Baby’ Jay Shah Dominates Cricket

Rahul Gandhi Attacks Modi Regime’s Elite Control, Asks Why ‘Nepo Baby’ Jay Shah Dominates Cricket

Despite repeatedly making such loose political statements in public rallies, however, a contrasting observation was made that Rahul Gandhi has yet to take any concrete action to lead street protests against what he terms a hostile Modi regime.

By Rakesh Raman
New Delhi | November 7, 2025

Bhagalpur, Bihar: The political discourse took a sharp turn toward cronyism and nepotism this week as Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, launched a sensational attack on the BJP government, questioning the rise of Home Minister Amit Shah’s son, Jay Shah, to the helm of international cricket. 

Addressing an election rally in Bhagalpur on Friday (November 7), Gandhi did not mince words, asserting that the administration of the popular Indian sport cricket is now controlled by an individual with no discernible playing credentials.

The core of his critique targeted Jay Shah’s appointment as the Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), a position he assumed effective December 1, 2024. “Amit Shah’s son does not know how to hold a cricket bat, but he is the Chief of cricket and controls the entire cricket,” Gandhi stated emphatically. 

The Congress MP framed this as part of a larger pattern where only a select group of political elites and their families benefit, alleging that the entire country’s operations are managed by a handful of people. “All the business is given to only three or four people of the country. Amit Shah’s son has never picked up a cricket bat, but he has become the in-charge of cricket,” he said in a video shared by the Congress on its official X handle.

Gandhi linked this alleged political nepotism in the sports body to the broader economic policies of the Narendra Modi-led regime, specifically mentioning the Prime Minister’s “oligarch friends,” Gautam Adani and the Ambani brothers. He accused the government of seizing public land to give to these business magnates, who in turn control the media narrative. Furthermore, he claimed that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was strategically imposed to inflict damage upon farmers, labourers, small businessmen, and employees.

The Congress leader’s rhetoric has an international comparison, as massive public protests have recently erupted in nations like Nepal and the Philippines, specifically targeting corrupt governments and “Nepo Babies.” These “Nepo babies” are the children of wealthy politicians who secure plum positions without any demonstrable competence, while educated ordinary youth without political connections struggle to secure even low-level employment. 

Critically, these global protests were reportedly led by Generation Z, consisting of youth and students. However, since the Gen Z of India is comparatively docile, there has been a lack of widespread street protests against the Modi government’s alleged corruption and nepotism.

The critique also broadened to comment on the nature of the sport itself. It is observed that cricket is actually played by hardly eight or ten poor and underdeveloped countries globally, where people are mostly uneducated and jobless, who waste their time watching the cricket hijinks on TV or on the field. 

The consequence of Amit Shah’s alleged nepotism is that without any qualification, Jay Shah grabbed the position of ICC chief, resulting in even established cricket players behaving like slaves in front of a political scion who supposedly lacks his own identity. 

Despite repeatedly making such loose political statements in public rallies, however, a contrasting observation was made that Rahul Gandhi has yet to take any concrete action to lead street protests against what he terms a hostile Modi regime.

By Rakesh Raman, who is a national award-winning journalist and social activist. He is the founder of a humanitarian organization RMN Foundation which is working in diverse areas to help the disadvantaged and distressed people in the society.

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