Rahul Gandhi Questions ‘Nepo Baby’ Jay Shah’s Grip on Global Cricket

Rahul Gandhi Questions ‘Nepo Baby’ Jay Shah’s Grip on Global Cricket

Rahul Gandhi’s comments reference international parallels including recent mass protests in countries like Nepal and the Philippines against corrupt regimes and “nepo babies” – privileged offspring of politicians securing high-profile roles despite lacking qualifications.

By Rakesh Raman
New Delhi | November 7, 2025

New Delhi, November 7, 2025 – In a fiery election rally in Bhagalpur, Bihar, Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi launched a blistering attack on the Narendra Modi-led BJP government, accusing it of fostering elite control and nepotism by handing key institutions to political heirs without merit.

Gandhi zeroed in on Jay Shah, son of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who assumed the role of International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman on December 1, 2024. Labeling him a “nepo baby,” Gandhi questioned how someone with no apparent cricket-playing background could dominate the sport’s global administration.”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 declared to the crowd. He further alleged, “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.”

The Congress party amplified the remarks by sharing a video of the speech on its official X account, highlighting Gandhi’s broader critique of cronyism under the Modi regime.

Framing Jay Shah’s rise as symptomatic of wider systemic issues, Gandhi claimed the government funnels opportunities to a tiny circle of elites and their families, including Prime Minister Modi’s “oligarch friends” like Gautam Adani and the Ambani brothers. He accused authorities of seizing public land for these tycoons, who allegedly control media narratives, while policies like the Goods and Services Tax (GST) deliberately harm farmers, laborers, small businessmen, and workers.

Gandhi’s comments reference international parallels including recent mass protests in countries like Nepal and the Philippines against corrupt regimes and “nepo babies” – privileged offspring of politicians securing high-profile roles despite lacking qualifications. These uprisings, often led by Generation Z youth, contrast with India’s relatively quiet younger demographic, which has not mounted similar street agitations against alleged corruption and favoritism in the Modi regime.

Critics note that while Gandhi frequently levels such charges in rallies, he has yet to organize or lead large-scale protests against the government he describes as hostile. The remarks underscore escalating political tensions ahead of elections, with nepotism in sports administration emerging as a fresh battleground in the opposition’s narrative against the ruling dispensation.

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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