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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson and MP Sudhanshu Trivedi on Friday accused Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi of meeting "questionable individuals" during his foreign visits and engaging in what he described as anti-India propaganda after returning to the country.
Addressing a press conference, Trivedi also criticised Gandhi's leadership of the Congress, alleging that his political approach had weakened the party and raised concerns about the dignity of the office of the Leader of the Opposition. "Whenever Rahul Gandhi travels abroad, he visits undisclosed locations and meets with questionable individuals. Upon his return to India, he then engages in anti-India propaganda," Trivedi said. "I am saying it again: he goes to unknown places, meets suspicious people, and here he comes and engages in anti-India propaganda," he added. The BJP leader's remarks came amid a political confrontation over Gandhi's overseas engagements and allegations by the ruling party that the Congress leader was associating with individuals whose positions, according to the BJP, were contrary to India's interests. Trivedi also questioned Gandhi's conduct during political protests, referring to incidents involving demonstrations near the Prime Minister's residence and the entry of protesters into Akashvani Bhavan. "Only in India is there a case where the Congress party goes to that extent, destroying the dignity of the post of the leader of the opposition, and even after that, they get no success," he said. Taking aim at Gandhi's leadership, Trivedi alleged that the Congress had repeatedly attempted to project him as its principal face despite what he described as a series of electoral setbacks. "As the honourable Prime Minister remarked, there is an attempt to repeatedly launch a 'failed product.' In doing so, the Congress party has put not only its own organisation but also the nation's constitutional framework at stake," he said. Trivedi further alleged that Gandhi had made contradictory claims about receiving support from officials and political figures during his protests. He questioned the basis of such assertions and accused the Congress leadership of treating them as evidence of wider political backing. The BJP spokesperson also referred to former US President Barack Obama's book A Promised Land, citing a passage describing Gandhi following their meeting during Obama's 2010 visit to India. Trivedi argued that the passage reflected poorly on Gandhi's political preparedness and challenged the Congress to respond to the former US president's observations. The BJP leader's remarks also came amid questions raised by his party about alleged links between foreign-funded organisations and political activism in India. Separately, the US House Ways and Means Committee is investigating funding networks associated with businessman Neville Roy Singham, according to reports by Fox News. The committee has identified individuals for potential questioning as part of an inquiry into whether funding channelled through tax-exempt nonprofit organisations has advanced Chinese Communist Party interests in the United States. The People's Forum Inc. and BreakThrough News have challenged the committee's demands for financial records, with BreakThrough News arguing that compulsory depositions targeting journalists could threaten press freedom. BJP leaders have raised questions about whether organisations linked to Singham have connections with political activities in India and Gandhi's protests against the Election Commission. (ANI)
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