Rahul Gandhi Warns Of Democracy Threat In India During EIA University Visit In Colombia; BJP Reacts

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said there is a “wholesale attack on the democratic system” in India, and stressed that allowing different traditions to thrive is important for the country.

Speaking at the EIA University in Medellín, Colombia, Gandhi said India has a much more complex system than China and its strengths are very different from those of its neighbour. PTI reported that he pointed to India’s long-standing spiritual tradition and thought system as offering ideas relevant to today’s world.

“I am very optimistic about India, but at the same time, there are fault lines within the Indian structure, there are risks that India has to overcome. The single-biggest risk is the attack on democracy that is taking place in India,” Gandhi said, according to PTI.

He added that India has multiple religions, traditions and languages, describing the country as “a conversation between all its people.” Different ideas, religions and traditions require space, he said, and the democratic system is the best method for creating that space.

“Currently, there is a wholesale attack on the democratic system in India, so that is a risk. The other big risk is different conceptions, different religions, different languages. Allowing these different traditions to thrive, giving them space to express themselves is very important for a country like India. We cannot do what China does, which is to suppress people and run an authoritarian system,” Gandhi said, PTI reported.

He added, “Our design will just not accept that.”

During his visit to Colombia, Gandhi also met Colombian President Senate Lidio Gracia, his tour is part of a four-nation visit to South America, PTI reported.

BJP Reacts to Gandhi's Remarks

The BJP on slammed Gandhi for his "attack on democracy" remarks. The BJP said Gandhi made false statements about India in order to "degrade" its reputation abroad.

The ruling party claimed that Gandhi's constant remarks "against India" are a result of his desperate attempts to seize power and urged the Congress leader to realise that if he keeps "insulting" India, his party will lose further elections.

Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad claimed that India's democracy is "complete" and that its citizens are free. He denounced the Congress leader's comments in Colombia as "shamefully insulting" the nation.

"Rahul Gandhi says all sorts of baseless and shameless things against India in India and when he goes abroad, he says there is no freedom of speech in India," said the former Union minister.

Flaying the Congress leader, Prasad further said, "You level a barrage of false accusations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, roaming all over India. So, democracy has given you the right to abuse people in India. And, you're saying there's no democracy here." Prasad alleged that Gandhi keeps speaking against India because his party's support base is shrinking and he is desperate to gain power.

"The problem with Rahul Gandhi is that they (Congress) don't get votes. He wants power," he said.

"If you insult India going abroad, then people will not make you win even those seats that you have got. You must know this," the senior BJP leader added.

Reacting sharply in a post on X, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said, "Rahul Gandhi does it again, degrades India on foreign soil. From defaming our democracy in London, to mocking our institutions in the US, now in Colombia he spares no chance to insult Bharat globally." "This isn't dissent. It's disgrace to the fake Gandhi," he charged.

"You lost power. Don't lose patriotism. Criticising BJP may be your right but dare you malign Mother India for your cheap and petty politics," the BJP spokesperson added.

BJP MP Kangana Ranaut hit out at Gandhi over his remarks, calling him a "disgrace".

"He keeps on condemning and criticising the country... That's why I call him a disgrace. He always embarrasses the country and the country is also embarrassed by him," the BJP leader told reporters on the sidelines of an event here when asked for her reaction.

Slamming Gandhi, BJP IT department head Amit Malviya called the Congress leader a "dangerous and delusional person", and said he does not deserve to be the Leader of Opposition.

"Once again, Rahul Gandhi goes abroad and runs down Indian democracy and her people, just because they have rejected him more than ninety times. In the run-up to 2024, the same man rushed to the world and sought the intervention of foreign agencies in Indian elections," Malviya said on X.

"Such a dangerous and delusional person, who has no faith in Indians, doesn't deserve to be the Leader of the Opposition," the BJP leader charged. 

(With inputs from PTI)