Congress MP Imran Masood has sparked controversy by drawing a comparison between freedom fighter Bhagat Singh and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The BJP criticised Masood, accusing him of glorifying terrorist organisations and disrespecting India’s freedom fighters. During a podcast discussion on the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, Masood became agitated when reminded that Hamas is considered a terrorist organisation, asking, “Was Bhagat Singh a terrorist as well?” When pressed on whether he was equating Bhagat Singh with Hamas, Masood affirmed the comparison, stating, “They are fighting for their land. Bhagat Singh was also fighting for his land.”
“Bhagat Singh gave the ultimate sacrifice for his land. While you consider Hamas a terrorist organisation, I see them as fighting for their freedom. You focus on the 250 hostages taken by Hamas, but overlook the 100,000 people killed by Israel. Israel is the occupier,” he added.
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla wrote on X, “Piece by piece, Imran Masood compares Hamas to Bhagat Singh ji. This is an insult to all our freedom fighters.”
Boti Boti Imran Masood compares Hamas to Bhagat Singh ji
This is an insult of all freedom fighters
Left & Congress eulogise terror groups and undermine all our heroes to make Gandhis look great
Earlier Kanhaiya Kumar compared Bhagat Singh ji to Lalu Yadav!
This isn’t the… pic.twitter.com/egTxpGjfG6
— Shehzad Jai Hind (@Shehzad_Ind) October 23, 2025
“Left and Congress eulogise terror groups and undermine all our heroes to make Gandhis look great. Earlier, Kanhaiya Kumar compared Bhagat Singh ji to Lalu Yadav! This isn’t the first time! Congress had earlier too insulted Bhagat Singh ji! They did this with Chandrashekhar Azad ji, Savarkar ji, Patel ji, Birsa Munda ji,” he added.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel, with its militants breaching the Israeli border, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 250 hostages. The assault marked the deadliest day in Israel’s history and sparked a war in Gaza.
In response, Israel launched a large-scale military offensive against Hamas in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of over 67,000 Palestinians and creating a severe humanitarian crisis that had significant repercussions on international politics.
