Congress MP Imran Masood has sparked a controversy with remarks comparing freedom fighter Bhagat Sing to the Gaza-based militant group Hamas. His comments have drawn widespread criticism on social media, with many accusing him of insulting India’s heroes while glorifying terrorist groups.

Who Is Imran Masood?
Masood won the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Saharanpur constituency in Uttar Pradesh. He had previously been put under house arrest on October 1 over the ‘I Love Muhammad’ poster row while leading a Congress delegation to violence-hit Bareilly.

In a recent podcast, Masood appeared defensive when told that Hamas is a terrorist organization. He asked, “Is Bhagat Singh a terrorist?” When the interviewer clarified whether he was comparing Hamas with Bhagat Singh, Masood responded, “Both were fighting for their land. Bhagat Singh became a martyr for his land. For you, Hamas is a terror group. I believe Hamas is fighting for their freedom. You focus on their 250 hostages but not the one lakh people killed in Palestine.”

The podcast clip quickly went viral, prompting criticism from netizens and political leaders alike. BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla condemned Masood, saying, “Boti Boti Imran Masood compares Hamas to Bhagat Singh ji. This is an insult to all freedom fighters.”

On X, Poonawalla added, “Left & Congress eulogise terror groups and undermine our heroes to make Gandhis look great. Earlier, Kanhaiya Kumar compared Bhagat Singh ji to Lalu Yadav!”

Critics highlighted that this is not the first instance of Congress allegedly disrespecting India’s freedom fighters. “They have done similar things with Chandrashekhar Azad, Savarkar, Patel, and Birsa Munda,” Poonawalla claimed.

Social media users reacted sharply. One wrote, “Comparing Hamas terrorists to Bhagat Singh ji is not just ignorance it’s an unforgivable insult to India’s freedom struggle.” Another questioned, “Why are anchors expecting patriotism from a terrorist sympathizer?”