In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sharmistha addressed Congress supporters who labeled her father a 'Sanghi' following his visit to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters in Nagpur in 2018. She questioned their silence over Rahul Gandhi's actions, stating, "Rahul’s Bhakt-chelas who call my father ‘Sanghi’ for his RSS visit, I dare them to question their leader on why did he hug Narendra Modi in parliament whom his mother called ‘maut ka saudagar’? By their convoluted logic, Rahul then should be seen as his accomplice."
Sharmistha's remarks come amid a broader debate within the Congress party regarding the treatment of its senior leaders. She previously criticized the party for not convening a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting to pass a condolence resolution after her father's death in August 2020. She noted that such a meeting was held upon the death of former President K.R. Narayanan, with the condolence message drafted by her father.
The internal family dispute intensified as Sharmistha criticized her brother, Abhijit Mukherjee, who defended the Congress's actions following their father's death. Abhijit attributed the absence of a CWC meeting to COVID-19 restrictions in place at the time, stating that only 20 family members and friends were permitted to attend the funeral due to pandemic protocols. He mentioned that the Congress wanted to organize a rally but was unable to do so because of the restrictions.
In response, Sharmistha accused her brother of seeking to rejoin a party whose followers allegedly disparage their father. She remarked, "Shame is on the person who, for some petty crumbs, wants to rejoin a party whose followers abuse his father day-in & day-out in the most vilest manner. He is truly ‘dented-painted’. SICK!"