By News Karnataka Editorial Team
Copyright newskarnataka
New Delhi [India], October 3 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sudhanshu Trivedi on Friday launched a sharp attack on Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, over his recent comments made abroad that “Indian democracy is under attack.” Trivedi questioned Gandhi’s democratic credentials and accused him of undermining India’s image on foreign soil.
Trivedi calls Gandhi remarks ‘ironic’
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Trivedi said that Gandhi’s remarks carried irony, since they came from the leader of a family that has long dominated the Congress Party.
“There cannot be anything more ridiculous and ironic than those who kept the monarchy alive by wearing the cloak of democracy for 100 years, giving a speech in a democracy, and that too against the biggest symbol of democracy, PM Narendra Modi,” Trivedi said.
Rahul Gandhi, while interacting with students at EIA University in Colombia, had alleged that India was witnessing a “wholesale attack” on its democratic system under the present BJP-led government.
‘Congress leadership tied to dynasty’
Trivedi hit out at Gandhi’s political lineage, alleging that the Nehru-Gandhi family was synonymous with dynasty politics. “The family has been ruling the Congress for 100 years. Panicked by the downfall of his organisation and loss of power, the head of that family, who today seems to be becoming the henchman of anti-India forces, has, as per his habit, made another statement from foreign soil, which is not surprising,” the BJP MP said.
The BJP leader accused Gandhi of repeatedly criticising India on international platforms, thereby “tarnishing the country’s image” at a time when, according to him, India was being recognised as a global leader under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
INDIA bloc under attack
Trivedi also criticised the opposition coalition INDIA bloc, alleging that it lacked a genuine commitment to the nation. “The one who has got ‘Modi-a-bindu’ in their eyes cannot see all this manufacturing in the country. That means the mentality of opposing PM Modi has become so strong that one stops seeing the truth, and the INDI alliance, which may have India in its name but does not have India in its heart, has caught ‘Modi-a-bindu’,” he said.
According to Trivedi, the opposition alliance was bound together solely by its hostility to Modi rather than by a constructive vision for India.
Gandhi’s Colombia address
During his interaction at the Colombian university, Rahul Gandhi acknowledged India’s strengths in engineering and healthcare but highlighted what he termed “serious flaws” in the political structure.
“The biggest challenge is the attack on democracy taking place in India,” Gandhi said, emphasising that India’s pluralistic society—with 16–17 major languages, multiple religions, and diverse traditions—required space for all groups to coexist peacefully.
He argued that the democratic framework was vital for maintaining harmony in a country as diverse as India, but alleged that it was now under threat. “Currently, there is a wholesale attack on this democratic system, and that is a major risk,” he added.
Criticism of BJP-RSS ideology
The Congress leader also targeted the RSS-BJP ideology, saying that “cowardice” lay at its core. As an example, he cited the external affairs minister’s remarks on China, alleging that the government’s approach reflected weakness rather than strength.
“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,” Gandhi said.
BJP’s strong objection
The BJP has taken strong exception to Gandhi’s remarks. Party leaders labelled them as “anti-India” and “insulting.” They argued that such comments were not only misleading but also damaging to India’s international standing.
Trivedi reiterated that Gandhi’s remarks were consistent with a pattern of criticising India abroad, instead of engaging constructively within the democratic framework of the country.
Broader context
Rahul Gandhi has often used international platforms to criticise the Modi government, alleging democratic backsliding, suppression of dissent, and weakening of institutions. The BJP, in turn, has consistently accused him of crossing a red line by taking domestic political debates outside India.
The controversy comes at a politically sensitive time, with the INDIA bloc seeking to challenge the BJP in upcoming elections, while the ruling party continues to position itself as the guardian of India’s democracy and development.
The latest war of words underscores the deepening rift between the BJP and the Congress-led opposition. While Rahul Gandhi insists that democracy is under attack, the BJP counters that India has never been stronger globally under Prime Minister Modi. With both sides sticking to their positions, the debate around democracy and governance is set to remain at the centre of India’s political discourse.
