In a fresh attack on PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi has again made an unsubstantiated claim.
Gandhi said that his phone was allegedly being tapped to a bewildered audience of serious start-up founders and people in India. It is important to understand that such tactics in front of international audience is the best attention seeking behaviour aimed at getting some news value and headlines. There are several questions left unanswered by Mr. Gandhi. Firstly, what was the basis of his claim, does he have any guidance and why hasn’t he approached the police or cyber cell because the start up founders are more interested in where their next billion comes from rather than unverified phone tapping scandal. Secondly, similar phone tapping accusations have been made against congress of allegedly tapping and snooping phones of its own chief ministers and central cabinet ministers. Thirdly, why would the PM Modi led BJP government want to tap the phones of a ‘private citizen’ who is neither the congress president nor holds power. Moreover, whatever power he seems to hold is without accountability and is a disqualified MP. While there have been similar accusations, throughout the history of independent India, and more recently in Karnataka in 2019, in Maharashtra in 2022, by the MVA government carried out by accused Rashmi Shukla.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has made some audacious claims and allegations during his 10-day tour of the United States, sparking a furore back home in India. His comments about being the first person to receive a maximum sentence for defamation and his disqualification from the Lok Sabha have stirred up criticism among his detractors. Speaking at Stanford University in California, Gandhi reflected on his political career, expressing surprise at his recent disqualification from Parliament following a defamation case related to his ‘Modi surname’ remark. Despite his predicament, he portrayed it as an opportunity to engage in politics beyond the confines of Parliament. His speech was closely followed by an address to the Indian diaspora in San Francisco, where he launched an indirect attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His bold and contentious statements on Indian opposition’s struggle, institutional capture, and the decline of democratic institutions in India raised further controversy. In an attempt to lampoon PM Modi, Gandhi also asserted that certain groups in India believe they possess an all-encompassing knowledge.
These controversial remarks have met with a strong response from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with members accusing Gandhi of using foreign platforms to smear India’s reputation. BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad lambasted Gandhi’s pessimistic view of India’s development journey, citing the country’s robust 7.2% annual economic growth as a counterpoint. Prasad, a former Union minister, accused Gandhi of spreading a market of “hate, distrust, and pessimism” against India’s progress under PM Modi’s leadership. The BJP leader also underscored India’s record exports and low inflation, characterising Gandhi’s international tour as a public display of his lack of faith in India’s growth narrative. Further criticisms have come from Union Minister Giriraj Singh, who described Rahul Gandhi as a ‘clown,’ arguing that PM Modi’s personality is beyond his comprehension. Singh chastised Gandhi for undermining India’s image during his foreign visits. Gandhi’s remarks during his U.S. tour have given ammunition to his critics who accuse him of belittling India’s development story and PM Modi’s leadership on an international platform. This saga continues to unfold as he navigates the remaining days of his visit.
