PM Modi takes veiled jibe at Rahul Gandhi over Cambridge speech, Congress issues sharp response

After Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the United Kingdom stoked controversy in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a veiled jibe at the Congress leader, slamming him for “raising questions on India’s democracy” during his speech at Cambridge University in London.

PM Modi, while attacking Rahul Gandhi without directly naming him, said on Sunday that raising questions about Indian democracy on foreign soil was an insult to the people of the country, sparking a sharp retort from the Congress party.

PM Modi said some people were putting the Indian democracy in the dock despite it being ingrained in the country’s political culture over centuries. PM Modi’s retort followed Rahul’s recent lecture at the prestigious Cambridge University where he claimed that the basic structure of the Indian democracy was under attack.

During the event in Karnataka, PM Modi said, “There are numerous factors that make India not just the largest democracy in the world but also the mother of democracy. I was privileged to have inaugurated the statue of Bhagwan Basaveshwara in London. But it is unfortunate that questions were raised about India's democracy in London. The roots of Indian democracy go deep and date back centuries.”

The prime minister further added, “No power in the world can sully or harm the tradition of Indian democracy. However, some people are continuing to put Indian democracy in the dock. Such people are insulting Bhagwan Basaveshwara, the people of Karnataka, Indian tradition, and the 130 crore Indian citizens. The people of Karnataka have to be aware of such people.”

Reacting to the prime minister's remarks, Congress media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said the prime minister "wasted" nine years in "abusing" the elders and ancestors of this country.

"You (PM) insult three generations when you say nothing happened in the last 70 years, then you do not bother about the image of the country. You pat yourself on the back in Parliament saying 'ek akela sab par bhari', the world sees it and also laughs at it," Khera said in a video statement in Hindi posted on his Twitter account.

"When you show red eyes to the media in the country and raid foreign media, then you do not bother about the image of the country," Khera asked, as per PTI reports.

(With inputs from agencies)

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