New Delhi: Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, made remarks about an “attack on democracy” in India at a seminar in Colombia. The Bharatiya Janata Party has criticized him for this. The BJP also accused him of making baseless claims on foreign soil to “diminish” the country’s status.
The BJP also criticized Rahul Gandhi for his comment that the British may kill our freedom fighters, but our freedom fighters will not resort to violence against them, and accused him of insulting the country’s “martyrs.” Rahul had mentioned Mangal Pandey, Subhas Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, and other revolutionaries in his address. The BJP alleged that Gandhi makes “anti-India” comments out of his “desperation” to gain power and advised the Congress leader to understand that continuing to “insult” the country would only cause further damage to his party in the elections. Speaking at EIA University in Medellin, Colombia, on Wednesday, Gandhi said that India has much to offer the world in terms of its traditions, way of thinking, information technology, engineering capabilities, and healthcare system. When asked about his views on India, Gandhi said, “I am very optimistic about India. But at the same time, there are some flaws in the Indian structure. India will have to overcome some risks.”
When asked to elaborate on the risks from his perspective, the Congress leader said that the biggest risk is the ongoing attack on democracy in India. Because India has many religions, many traditions, and many languages. India is truly a medium of communication between all its people. Gandhi said that different traditions, different religions, and different ideas require space, and the best way to create that space is through a democratic system. Currently, the democratic system in India is under widespread attack. Therefore, this is the risk.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha said that another major risk is the different perceptions in different parts of the country. Rahul Gandhi said that there are approximately 16-17 different languages ​​and religions, so allowing these different traditions to flourish and express themselves is very important for a country like India. We cannot do what China does, which is suppress people and run an authoritarian system. He stressed that our country and democracy will not accept this.
Reacting to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said that India has a “complete” democracy where people are free. He condemned the Congress leader for “shamefully insulting” the country with his remarks in Colombia. The former Union Minister said that Rahul Gandhi makes all sorts of baseless and shameless statements against India in India, and when he goes abroad, he claims that there is no freedom of expression in the country.
Targeting the Congress leader, Prasad said, “You go around India making false allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Therefore, democracy has given you the right to abuse the people of India, and you are saying that there is no democracy here.” Prasad alleged that Gandhi continues to speak against India because his party’s support base is dwindling and he is desperate for power. Ravi Shankar Prasad took Rahul Gandhi to task, saying that his problem is that they (Congress) don’t get votes. He wants power.
The senior BJP leader further said that if you go abroad and insult India, people will not even give you the seats you won. You should know this. Meanwhile, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia reacted sharply in a post on the social media site “X,” writing that Rahul Gandhi has done it again: insult India on foreign soil. From denigrating our democracy in London to mocking our institutions in the United States, now in Colombia, he leaves no opportunity to humiliate India on a global scale. He alleged that this isn’t dissent. This is an insult to a fake Gandhi.
