Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s address at Cambridge University on Wednesday, in which he attacked the BJP government and PM Modi while asserting that Indian democracy is under attack, has sparked a row. Angry over his comment, Union minister and BJP leader Anurag Thakur said, “Rahul Gandhi has a habit of lying and defaming India. This raises questions on the agenda of the Congress Party.” This is not the first time Rahul Gandhi has been criticised for his alleged remarks against the Union government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi from foreign soil. Let us have a look at the times when Rahul made such comments in foreign countries.
UK (MAY 2022)
During an interactive session at the ‘Ideas for India’ conference in London, Rahul Gandhi attacked the BJP government and reached out to the regional parties who he had offended with his comment that they were not capable of taking on the BJP for want of ideology. Rahul Gandhi said the soul of India is under attack from the BJP and “a soul without a voice means nothing and what has happened is that India’s voice has been crushed”. Gandhi alleged that India’s voice had been crushed by the institutional framework of the country itself, which was becoming parasitical. “So, the deep state, the CBI, the ED, is now chewing the Indian state and eating it, much like in Pakistan,” he claimed.
MALAYSIA (MARCH 2018)
During an interaction with members of the Indian community in Malaysia, Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sudden decision to demonetise high-value currency notes in 2016. During the interaction, Rahul Gandhi was asked how he would have rolled out demonetisation differently. Written on it, I would have thrown it in the dustbin. That is how I would have rolled it out,” Rahul Gandhi said to loud applause from the audience. “I would have rolled it out in the dustbin, and out through the doors and into the junkyard… Because that is what I think should have been done with demonetisation.”
SINGAPORE (MARCH 2018)
While speaking at a panel discussion at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, Rahul Gandhi said there was a general atmosphere of intimidation in the country and the politics of dividing people was being played to win elections. “If you ask me what am I proud about my country…It is the idea of plurality. It’s the idea that people in India can say anything they want, do anything they want, and they won’t face any problem and that is being challenged,” he said.
BAHRAIN (JANUARY 2018)
While addressing a convention of NRIs in Bahrain, his first foreign visit after taking over the reins of the party, Rahul Gandhi slammed the BJP-led government at the Centre over its inability to provide jobs to the Indian youth, which he claimed was creating widespread anger and hatred in the country. “The anger is visible in the streets and is rising rapidly. The government, on the other hand, is busy converting fear into hatred between communities,” Rahul Gandhi said, adding that NRIs are needed to protect the idea of India that is deeply cherished.
US (SEPTEMBER 2017)
Rahul Gandhi took jibes at the BJP and the Narendra Modi-led government as he spoke on the issue of ‘India at 70’ at the University of California, Berkeley. “The idea of non-violence is under attack today, yet it is the only idea which can take humanity forward,” he said. Rahul Gandhi added that the Modi government was paying attention only to the top 100 companies in India.
