India, Feb. 26 — The BJP attacks Rahul Gandhi intensified on Wednesday, with senior leaders accusing the Congress MP of making remarks that they described as “anti-India” and aligned with foreign interests. The ruling party also broadened its criticism to target former Congress prime ministers and the Gandhi family’s political legacy.
BJP president Nitin Nabin alleged that the Leader of Opposition has been on a “compromised mission,” claiming that it began during the tenure of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and continued across generations of the Nehru-Gandhi family.
The remarks come amid a controversy over a shirtless protest by Indian Youth Congress activists at an AI Summit in Delhi, where slogans referencing a proposed India-US trade deal were raised. The BJP has linked the protest to what it describes as a broader pattern of undermining national interests.
Allegations Over Foreign Visits and Trade Deal
Nabin accused Gandhi of undertaking numerous foreign trips without informing central security agencies. He further claimed that the Congress leader was engaged in politics that weaken India’s global standing.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal echoed the criticism at a press conference, alleging that Gandhi and the Congress party were spreading “falsehoods” regarding the interim trade agreement between India and the United States. The Congress has described the deal as a “surrender” of national interests a charge the BJP strongly rejected.
Goyal asserted that such claims were politically motivated and intended to destabilise the country’s economic progress. He also revisited historical controversies, including the 1962 India-China war, the 1971 Shimla Agreement, the Bofors scandal, and allegations referenced in the Mitrokhin Archives, to argue that past Congress governments had compromised national interests.
Congress Yet to Respond
The Congress party has not issued a detailed response to the latest round of allegations. However, the exchange signals an intensifying political battle ahead of upcoming electoral contests, with both sides sharpening their rhetoric over foreign policy and economic matters.
The BJP attacks Rahul Gandhi mark another escalation in the ongoing war of words between the ruling party and the principal opposition.