NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi , accused the BJP-led central government of mounting a “wholesale attack on Indian democracy” during an interaction at EIA University in Colombia. The BJP hit back, calling him a “Leader of Propaganda” and criticising him for "once again" denigrating Indian democracy on a foreign platform.
"The single biggest risk is the attack on democracy that is taking place in India because India has multiple religions, multiple traditions, multiple languages. And India actually is a conversation between all its people and different traditions, different religions, different ideas require space. And that the best method for creating that space is the democratic system. And currently there is a wholesale attack on the democratic system in India," Rahul said during a recent interaction with students.
Contrasting Indian political system with that of China's, he said, "This other big risk is risk between different conceptions, different parts of the country, right? Some 16, 17 different languages, different religions. So allowing these different traditions to thrive, giving them space to express themselves is very important for a country like India. We can't do what China does, which is suppress people and run authoritarian system. Our design just will not accept that."
"Most of the people, for example, who are creating polarisation in the US with Mr Trump are those who lost their jobs because of manufacturing. China has demonstrated to the world how you can manage production in a non-democratic setup, but we cannot do that; we are a democratic setup. The challenge is whether we can develop manufacturing like China but within a democratic setup," he added.
'Demonetisation, GST destroying small, medium businesses'
Targeting the central government's policies, including demonetisation and GST, Rahul said that these economic policies "destroyed small and medium businesses and allowed very large monopolies to control a big section of our economy."
"The Government of India brought two policies - first, the demonetisation of our currency, which essentially destroyed small and medium businesses and allowed very large monopolies to control a big section of our economy; and second, GST, which was again designed to harm medium and small businesses. We believe that supporting these small businesses is the way forward for entrepreneurship, and that’s the difference between us and those in power who believe that a few monopolies should control the economy," he said.
"In India, we have a huge level of corruption at the centralised level. Three or four businesses are taking over the whole economy, having a direct relationship with the Prime Minister, and it is rampant in India," he added.
'Cowardice at heart of RSS-BJP ideology'
Citing past statements by foreign minister S Jaishankar about China and Hindu ideologue VD Savarkar about beating up a Muslim man, Rahul said that "cowardice was at heart of RSS-BJP 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," he said.
"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.
'Rahul wants to fight Indian state!'
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla criticised Rahul for making such statements abroad.
"Once again Rahul Gandhi behaves like LoP - Leader of Propaganda Goes abroad and attacks Indian Democracy! After all he wants to fight Indian state! Sometimes Demands US UK should intervene into our affairs and now this From Sena to Judiciary to Sanvidhan to Sanatan!" he said in a post on X.
Moreover, BJP's Pradeep Bhandari accused "Gandhi-Vadra family" of keeping India "poor."
"Rahul Gandhi is anti-India. The one who hates India and its progress can speak such things on foreign soil that India can't be a leader. The Gandhi-Vadra family kept India poor due to such a mindset. When they see that India has emerged as a global leader and a four trillion-dollar economy under PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi is attacking India's progress and its democracy out of jealousy and disgust," Bhandari told ANI.
"This makes it clear that Rahul Gandhi's remote control is in foreign hands. Those who don't want India to progress push Rahul Gandhi to say such things. He is not a political opponent, but leader of opposing India. He is against India's unity and integrity. 140 crore Indians are witnessing Rahul Gandhi's attempt to defame India from foreign soil," he added.
Ravi Shankar Prasad also took aim at Gandhi saying that instead of greeting Indians on the occasion of Vijayadashami, he chose to "speak against India."
“Rahul Gandhi is abroad. It would have been better if, on the occasion of Vijayadashami, he had extended greetings to the people of the country. But instead, he chooses to speak against India. Rahul Gandhi has developed a habit of defaming the nation and questioning the freedoms enjoyed by its people, and that too while on foreign soil," he said.
"He constantly makes false allegations against Prime Minister Modi, abuses him without shame, and claims abroad that there is no freedom of speech in India. Everything Rahul Gandhi says is baseless. When he is abroad, he says there is no democracy in India . While overseas, he insults India," he added.
Gandhi is on a four-day South America tour, the timing of which, has already been questioned by the BJP.
Also read: Rahul Gandhi on South America tour - Congress leader reaches Columbia; set to interact with students, political leaders
"The single biggest risk is the attack on democracy that is taking place in India because India has multiple religions, multiple traditions, multiple languages. And India actually is a conversation between all its people and different traditions, different religions, different ideas require space. And that the best method for creating that space is the democratic system. And currently there is a wholesale attack on the democratic system in India," Rahul said during a recent interaction with students.
Contrasting Indian political system with that of China's, he said, "This other big risk is risk between different conceptions, different parts of the country, right? Some 16, 17 different languages, different religions. So allowing these different traditions to thrive, giving them space to express themselves is very important for a country like India. We can't do what China does, which is suppress people and run authoritarian system. Our design just will not accept that."
"Most of the people, for example, who are creating polarisation in the US with Mr Trump are those who lost their jobs because of manufacturing. China has demonstrated to the world how you can manage production in a non-democratic setup, but we cannot do that; we are a democratic setup. The challenge is whether we can develop manufacturing like China but within a democratic setup," he added.
'Demonetisation, GST destroying small, medium businesses'
Targeting the central government's policies, including demonetisation and GST, Rahul said that these economic policies "destroyed small and medium businesses and allowed very large monopolies to control a big section of our economy."
"The Government of India brought two policies - first, the demonetisation of our currency, which essentially destroyed small and medium businesses and allowed very large monopolies to control a big section of our economy; and second, GST, which was again designed to harm medium and small businesses. We believe that supporting these small businesses is the way forward for entrepreneurship, and that’s the difference between us and those in power who believe that a few monopolies should control the economy," he said.
"In India, we have a huge level of corruption at the centralised level. Three or four businesses are taking over the whole economy, having a direct relationship with the Prime Minister, and it is rampant in India," he added.
'Cowardice at heart of RSS-BJP ideology'
Citing past statements by foreign minister S Jaishankar about China and Hindu ideologue VD Savarkar about beating up a Muslim man, Rahul said that "cowardice was at heart of RSS-BJP 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," he said.
"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.
'Rahul wants to fight Indian state!'
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla criticised Rahul for making such statements abroad.
"Once again Rahul Gandhi behaves like LoP - Leader of Propaganda Goes abroad and attacks Indian Democracy! After all he wants to fight Indian state! Sometimes Demands US UK should intervene into our affairs and now this From Sena to Judiciary to Sanvidhan to Sanatan!" he said in a post on X.
Once again Rahul Gandhi behaves like LoP - Leader of Propaganda
— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) October 2, 2025
Goes abroad and attacks Indian Democracy! After all he wants to fight Indian state!
Sometimes Demands US UK should intervene into our affairs and now this
From Sena to Judiciary to Sanvidhan to Sanatan ! pic.twitter.com/4mOWacVLGy
Moreover, BJP's Pradeep Bhandari accused "Gandhi-Vadra family" of keeping India "poor."
"Rahul Gandhi is anti-India. The one who hates India and its progress can speak such things on foreign soil that India can't be a leader. The Gandhi-Vadra family kept India poor due to such a mindset. When they see that India has emerged as a global leader and a four trillion-dollar economy under PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi is attacking India's progress and its democracy out of jealousy and disgust," Bhandari told ANI.
"This makes it clear that Rahul Gandhi's remote control is in foreign hands. Those who don't want India to progress push Rahul Gandhi to say such things. He is not a political opponent, but leader of opposing India. He is against India's unity and integrity. 140 crore Indians are witnessing Rahul Gandhi's attempt to defame India from foreign soil," he added.
Ravi Shankar Prasad also took aim at Gandhi saying that instead of greeting Indians on the occasion of Vijayadashami, he chose to "speak against India."
“Rahul Gandhi is abroad. It would have been better if, on the occasion of Vijayadashami, he had extended greetings to the people of the country. But instead, he chooses to speak against India. Rahul Gandhi has developed a habit of defaming the nation and questioning the freedoms enjoyed by its people, and that too while on foreign soil," he said.
"He constantly makes false allegations against Prime Minister Modi, abuses him without shame, and claims abroad that there is no freedom of speech in India. Everything Rahul Gandhi says is baseless. When he is abroad, he says there is no democracy in India . While overseas, he insults India," he added.
VIDEO | Slamming Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on India in Colombia, BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “Rahul Gandhi is abroad. It would have been better if, on the occasion of Vijayadashami, he had extended greetings to the people of the country. But instead, he chooses to speak… pic.twitter.com/Vr0taS9L1u
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 2, 2025
Gandhi is on a four-day South America tour, the timing of which, has already been questioned by the BJP.
Also read: Rahul Gandhi on South America tour - Congress leader reaches Columbia; set to interact with students, political leaders
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