Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has stepped up his attack on the Indian government led by Narendra Modi, saying that the Opposition is not allowed to raise the issue of Chinese intrusion into Indian territory in the Indian Parliament.
Speaking to an audience of close to 1,500 people at an event in London, Gandhi criticized the BJP government for allegedly not allowing any idea of opposition to be discussed in the House. He said, "The government doesn't allow the concept of opposition in the country. The same thing happens in Parliament, the fact that Chinese sitting inside our territory when we raise these questions we are not allowed to raise them in the house ... in fact, it's a shame."
Gandhi hits back on Jaishankar's remark
Gandhi also launched a fresh attack on the BJP, saying, "at the heart of their ideology is cowardice", and waging a scathing attack on External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s remarks on China and the government not standing up to “stronger” China. He also brought in VD Savarkar in the narrative of cowardice. Referring to an anecdote of one of the chapters of Savarkar’s book where joy is allegedly expressed at four-five people beating up one Muslim, Rahul said,"If a person feels happy by beating 4-5 people, that is cowardice.”
Gandhi further criticized the government on several other issues, including unemployment, price rises, and violence against Indian women. He also took a veiled jibe at business tycoon Gautam Adani, whose companies' stocks tanked after the release of the Hindenburg report.
He said, "One or two business people control pretty much every business. He has become famous lately. You can see reports on his wealth. It's at the expense of the Indian people. One person is making all the money because of his political connections."
Gandhi slammed Indian media
Gandhi also slammed the Indian media, saying that the press only shows anger, hatred, violence, Bollywood or cricket, but not the real issues. Speaking about Indian democracy, he said, "So the surprising thing is, so-called defenders of democracy, which are the United States and European countries, seem to be oblivious that huge chunks of the democratic model have come undone, which is a real problem. The opposition is fighting that battle. The battle is for huge democratic people. The opposition has placed the vision on the table, which is an inclusive one. The vision aims to bring people together."
Earlier, Gandhi had alleged that the structures of Indian democracy are under “brutal attack” and there is a full-scale assault on the institutions of the country. Gandhi's comments at Cambridge University that Indian democracy is under attack have become the latest flashpoint between the Congress and the BJP.
Despite facing criticism from the government, Gandhi stood by his remarks and said, "The more they attack me, the better it is for me, the more I understand and the more I learn. It’s a fight between courage and cowardice. It’s a fight between respect and dis-respect. It’s a fight between love and hatred."
