‘I would have discussed family matters at home’: SP leader on Rahul Gandhi’s Berlin remarks
New Delhi: As Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha (LoP), Rahul Gandhi mounted a sharp attack on the BJP in Germany, reiterating allegations of ‘vote chori’ and claiming that India is witnessing a “full-scale assault on the institutional framework”, Congress ally, the Samajwadi Party (SP) distanced itself from the remarks, saying such issues should be raised within the country and not abroad.
The reaction from the SP came after Rahul Gandhi addressed a gathering at the Hertie School in Berlin, Germany, on the theme “Politics Is the Art of Listening”, where he alleged that the Haryana Assembly elections and the Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2024 “were not fair”. His remarks triggered sharp criticism from the BJP and JD(U), which accused him of defaming India on foreign soil.
Speaking to IANS on Tuesday, Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Kumar Rai said that while concerns about various global and domestic issues are widely known, raising them outside the country was not appropriate.
“As far as China is concerned, the whole world knows about it; nothing new has been said. International organisations are also reporting and commenting on India’s stance. What is needed is self-reflection and introspection. But if I had to speak, I would have discussed family matters at home,” Rai said.
The BJP strongly criticised Rahul Gandhi for his comments abroad. BJP Bihar President Dilip Jaiswal said that whenever Rahul Gandhi travels overseas, he makes statements that harm India’s image.
“Whenever Rahul Gandhi goes abroad, he speaks against his own country. What could be more shameful than this? In a democracy, one has the greatest right to speak within India. India is one of the few countries where the Opposition has complete freedom to express its views. In many other countries, people do not even have the right to speak freely. Yet, despite India having such a strong democratic setup, Rahul Gandhi tries to defame the country abroad,” Jaiswal said.
JD(U) national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan also lashed out at the Congress leader, questioning his conduct as the Leader of Opposition.
“Rahul Gandhi can give a better answer on this himself. The people of India have never seen such an irresponsible leader in the history of politics. Rahul Gandhi has always attacked the Constitution, EVMs and constitutional bodies. As the LoP, when Parliament is in session, and there are serious discussions on national issues, what he says in a foreign country holds no relevance for the people of India. He generally tries to degrade the image of the country,” Ranjan said.
JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar went a step further, alleging that Rahul Gandhi’s leadership position is based on lineage rather than merit.
“Rahul Gandhi is not leading the Congress on the basis of his hard work or capabilities, but because he belongs to a particular family. The people have given their mandate, and he is the LoP, yet during the Winter Session of Parliament, he is outside the country, not due to any medical or official reason but for tourism. He is raising questions on India’s Constitution, which is completely wrong. He has won elections using the same EVMs. When he wins, he remains silent, but when he loses, he questions the EVMs. Now he is questioning the country and its institutions. This shows that he has been made the LoP despite his inability,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi recently alleged that the Congress party had formally raised concerns with the Election Commission of India, but did not receive any response.
“We fundamentally believe that there is a problem with the electoral machinery in India. The second thing is that there is a wholesale capture of our institutional framework,” Gandhi said.
He alleged that key institutions had been compromised, adding, “When you look at our intelligence agencies, you look at the CBI, you look at the ED, they’ve been weaponised.”
Gandhi said, “The West and to an extent India, have handed over production to the Chinese. China dominates production today, which means that it is difficult to give employment to a large number of people. Countries like India, the US and Germany cannot give employment based on services. How do democracies produce in this transition? What are the models that are required, how do you think about production in a democratic environment, and what are the types of partnerships that India, the US and Europe can create for production? It will become very difficult for democracy to sustain itself if we are not able to produce.”