Rahul Gandhi’s ‘attack on democracy’ remarks in Colombia spark political row; BJP says, ‘it is his nature to tarnish India’s image abroad’

NEW DELHI: The “cowardice” remarks made by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in Colombia against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have created an uproar in the political circles. He also criticised the Narendra Modi government, claiming an “attack on India’s democracy”.

The BJP has jumped into the mounting controversy, raising strong objections against remarks made by Rahul Gandhi, labelling them as “anti-India” and “insulting” to the nation. A BJP leader said that it was Gandhi’s nature to tarnish India’s image abroad.

Rajasthan Minister of State (MoS) Jawahar Singh Bedham lashed out at Gandhi over the latter’s “attack on democracy” remarks, saying that it was the nature of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Lok Sabha to tarnish India’s image abroad.

Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Gandhi of “insulting” India on foreign soil while defending the centre against his “attack on democracy” charge.

While addressing a press conference here, Prasad implied that Rahul Gandhi was making such remarks because he wants power. He further accused the LoP Lok Sabha of “abusing” Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India’s development.

“Rahul Gandhi is abroad. It would have been nice if he had wished well, but he is attacking India. He says everything baseless. He says there is no democracy in India. There is complete democracy, but the problem with Rahul Gandhi is that he wants power,” Prasad, who is a former Union Minister, said.

“In Bogota, Colombia, Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi stated that there is no democracy in India and people don’t have the freedom to speak. Rahul Gandhi abuses PM Modi, development of the nation, the most,” he added.

The BJP MP stated that the public will not vote for Gandhi if he keeps on insulting India during his foreign trips. Prasad further noted that Gandhi’s love for China was evident when he claimed that India could not be a global power.

“If you go abroad and insult India, the public will not vote for you, and you will not win the seats that you won this time. Now you’re praising China, saying that India can’t become a major global power, but China can lead the world. Today, India is the world’s fourth-largest economy and is on track to become the third-largest. Your love for China is evident, and you never miss an opportunity to insult India. We strongly condemn this,” Prasad said.

Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal slammed Gandhi, saying that the latter was becoming accustomed to defaming India on foreign soil.

“It has become a habit for Rahul Gandhi to defame the country’s constitutional institutions abroad. The people of the country do not approve of this behaviour,” the Union Minister said.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury called Gandhi a fearless leader and defended his recent statements in Colombia regarding the threat to democracy in India, stating that he had expressed his views on what was happening in the country.

While speaking, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, “What Rahul Gandhi is saying is about what is happening in our country. If we take the example of Sonam Wangchuk, how can anyone say that this is democratic? The whole world is watching. Even in Gaza and Palestine, we should have opposed the attacks of Israel on the common people. But they can’t do that either. So far, the fight to defend the Constitution, which we initiated under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, has been about preventing us from turning into like China or Russia. Rahul Gandhi initiated the Samvidhan Bachao Yatra to prevent India from becoming like China or Russia. Rahul Gandhi is someone who speaks the truth. He has no fear about this. He says white is white, black is black.”

Meanwhile, Union Minister L Murugan slammed the Congress MP and suggested that he should speak such things “inside the country”. He also criticised Gandhi for his remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“This is Rahul Gandhi’s habit, the way he is going out of the country and criticising the Prime Minister, he is not at all a good leader. Whatever you speak, you speak inside the country,” Murugan told reporters.

Speaking at an event at EIA University of Colombia today, Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at the Narendra Modi government, asserting that the biggest challenge India is witnessing is the attack on its democracy.

“India has strong capabilities in areas like engineering and healthcare, so I am very optimistic about the country. But at the same time, there are also flaws in the structure that India has to correct. The biggest challenge is the attack on democracy taking place in India,” Gandhi said.

The Congress leader argued that the democratic system remains crucial for diversity, allowing different traditions, customs, and ideas, including religious beliefs, to thrive. However, he added, the democratic system in India is under attack, which is a “major risk” or threat.

“India has multiple religions, traditions, and languages — in fact, the country is essentially a conversation between all these people and cultures. Different traditions, religions, and ideas require space, and the best method for creating that space is the democratic system,” Gandhi said.

“Currently, there is a wholesale attack on this democratic system, and that is a major risk. Another big risk is the tension between different conceptions in parts of the country. With 16-17 major languages and many religions, it is crucial to allow these diverse traditions to thrive and give them the space they need,” he added.

Gandhi also attacked the RSS-BJP duo, saying that “cowardice” was at the heart of their ideology.

“This is the nature of BJP-RSS. If you notice a statement of the foreign minister, he said, ‘China is much more powerful than us. How can I pick a fight with them?’ At the heart of the ideology is cowardice,” the Congress leader said.

He further cites an incident from Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s book, where the Hindutva ideologue writes, “he and his friends beat up a Muslim man and felt happy about it.”

Reacting to this, Gandhi said that RSS’ ideology is to “beat up weak people” and run away from those who are stronger than them.

“In his book, Savarkar has written that once he and his few friends beat up a Muslim man, and they felt very happy that day. If five people beat up a single individual, which makes one of them happy, it is cowardice. This is RSS ideology, to beat weak people,” he added.

Reacting to this, Rajasthan BJP president Madan Rathore lashed out at the Congress MP and said that the remarks made by the LoP should be condemned.

“No politician, especially the Leader of the Opposition in the Indian Parliament, should make any statement without adequate information. Whatever statements he made abroad, regarding a major Indian organisation, are unfortunate and should be condemned,” Rathore said. (ANI)