Congress leader Rahul Gandhi targets Modi govt from Brussels

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a broadside from abroad against the Narendra Modi government a day before the start of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, alleging that "the democratic and institutional structure of India is under attack from the group of people who are running India".

At a press conference on Friday in Brussels - from where he has started his week-long Europe tour - Gandhi also said that "the minorities are under attack" in India and so are Dalits, tribals and the backwards communities". He also said there is an attempt "to change the nature of our country" from being a union of states in conversation between its members "to a BJP vision, which believes that power should be centralised, wealth should be concentrated and the conversation between the members of the Union and the people should be suppressed".

On the government not inviting the leader of opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to the presidential banquet for G20 leaders, Gandhi said it is a case of the government choosing not to invite "the leader who represents 60% of Indian population", perhaps an indirect reference to the BJP bagging less than 40% (37.30%) votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and camouflaging that the Congress polled only 19.46% votes.


Gandhi reiterated Congress support to the government's handling of the Russia-Ukraine war. He parried questions on his view on the abrogation of Article 370 in J&K by saying the Congress Working Committee resolution has stated its position.