The political battle between the BJP and Congress has intensified after Rahul Gandhi criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s approach to foreign policy, prompting a sharp response from senior BJP leaders.
The BJP attacked Gandhi over his remarks made at the Congress National Convention in Delhi, questioning his position as Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Congress, meanwhile, defended Gandhi and said he was raising legitimate questions about the government’s foreign policy and its handling of international issues.
JP Nadda attacks Rahul Gandhi
Union Health Minister and BJP leader JP Nadda led the party’s response, describing Gandhi’s position as Leader of Opposition as an unfortunate situation for the country.
Nadda also questioned Gandhi’s leadership within Congress, saying the party itself should be concerned about having him as its leader.
Several other BJP leaders joined the criticism, accusing Gandhi of crossing political boundaries and making remarks they described as undignified.
BJP spokesperson raises questions about Nehru
BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan also launched a strong attack on Gandhi.
Kesavan called Gandhi a major liability for Indian politics and accused him of lowering the dignity of Parliament.
He also attempted to shift the discussion towards India’s earlier foreign policy, particularly the tenure of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Kesavan questioned why Gandhi does not examine Nehru’s record on foreign affairs before criticising the Modi government’s approach.
He also raised the issue of letters written by Nehru, asking why Gandhi’s family has not returned what he described as “51 cartons of letters of Nehru.”
Congress defends Rahul Gandhi
Congress rejected the BJP’s criticism and said Gandhi was raising questions in his capacity as Leader of Opposition.
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said Gandhi’s comments were focused on the manner in which Prime Minister Modi conducts himself during foreign visits.
Tiwari also referred to Operation Sindoor and argued that Gandhi was questioning whether the country had forgotten the diplomatic challenges India faced during the period.
According to the Congress, the criticism was aimed at the government’s foreign policy rather than at India’s international relations as a whole.
What did Rahul Gandhi say about Modi’s foreign policy?
Gandhi made his remarks while addressing the Rachnatmak Congress National Convention in Delhi.
He criticised what he described as the Modi government’s approach to foreign policy, using the example of the Prime Minister’s public interactions with foreign leaders.
During the event, Gandhi demonstrated his point by hugging Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit.
Dikshit then made a light-hearted remark asking whether Gandhi had mistaken him for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Gandhi responded that he had not reached that point yet.
Gandhi also accused the BJP and RSS of lacking an understanding of India’s political philosophy and said their approach was focused on imposing a particular form of order on the country.
Gandhi targets Modi and Amit Shah
Gandhi further stepped up his attack on Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
He said Congress would continue raising questions against the government and would not allow the two leaders to remain comfortable until they resigned.
Referring to student protests at Jantar Mantar, Gandhi alleged that the government prioritised maintaining order over allowing people to freely express their views.
He argued that the BJP-RSS ideology seeks to create an order that benefits particular sections of society.
Political fight likely to continue
The exchange highlights the growing confrontation between the BJP and Congress, with foreign policy becoming another major point of political disagreement.
While the BJP has focused on Gandhi’s criticism and his comments about the Prime Minister, Congress has maintained that the Leader of Opposition has a responsibility to question the government’s policies.
The latest confrontation comes amid a broader political battle between the two parties over the government’s record, foreign affairs and the role of the Opposition in Parliament.
