- By Chetna Shree
- Thu, 02 Oct 2025 06:15 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Congress Leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has targeted the NDA-led government, saying that the biggest threat to India is the "attack on democracy." Speaking during an interaction at EIA University in Colombia, Gandhi said, “India is home to many religions, traditions, and languages. A democratic system ensures space for all. But at present, that very system is under assault from all directions.”
His remarks drew sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which labelled him the “Leader of Propaganda” and accused him of undermining Indian democracy while speaking on foreign soil.
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Rahul Gandhi’s Top Quotes On Democracy And India’s Challenges
- Addressing students at EIA University in Colombia, Rahul Gandhi expressed optimism about India’s potential but highlighted serious internal challenges. India has tremendous potential with its 1.4 billion people. But India has a completely different system from China. China is very centralised and uniform. India is decentralised and has multiple languages, cultures, traditions, and religions. India has a much more complex system.”
- “India can offer a lot to the world, and I am very optimistic. But at the same time, there are fault lines within the Indian structure; there are risks that India has to overcome. The single biggest risk is the attack on democracy that is taking place. India is a conversation between all its people. Different traditions, religions, and ideas require space. And the best method for creating that space is the democratic system. And currently, there is a wholesale attack on the democratic system in India,” he added.
- Gandhi further pointed out the growing diversions in the country, emphasising India’s rich diversity. “We have some 16-17 different languages and different religions. Allowing these different traditions to thrive, giving them space to express themselves, is very important for India. We cannot do what China does: suppress people and run an authoritarian system. Our design will not accept that.”
- Talking about global shifts in energy and power, the Congress leader said, “Empires arise during energy transitions. The British controlled the steam engine and coal and became a superpower. We in India fought that empire and eventually got freedom in 1947. After the British, the Americans managed the transition from coal and steam to petrol and the internal combustion engine. Now we are facing a new transition to the electric motor, from the fuel tank to the battery.”
Rahul Gandhi On Trump’s Polarisation And India’s Economic Challenge
- Congress leader Rahul Gandhi further highlighted the ongoing power struggle, saying, “The real fight between the US, which has a maritime vision of the world, and China, which has a terrestrial vision, is about who is going to manage this transition.” He added, “The Chinese are winning so far.”
- Gandhi further pointed out that India occupies a critical position in the contest as both China’s neighbour and a close partner of the US. “We are sitting right in the middle of where the forces are colliding.”
- Speaking about the political landscape in the United States, Gandhi said that President Donald Trump’s polarisation campaign is targeted at the unemployed. “In America, most people polarised with Trump are those who have lost their jobs in the manufacturing sector. China has demonstrated production in a non-democratic environment, but we need a democratic structure. Therefore, the challenge is to develop a model of production in a democratic environment that can compete with China.”
- “Despite economic growth in India, we are unable to provide enough jobs because we are a service-based economy and are unable to produce.”
BJP Hits Back At Rahul Gandhi
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has responded sharply to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla wrote, “Once again, Rahul Gandhi behaves like LoP - Leader of Propaganda. Goes abroad and attacks Indian Democracy! After all, he wants to fight (the) Indian state! Sometimes demands that the US and the UK should intervene in our affairs, and now this. From Sena to Judiciary to Sanvidhan to Sanatan.”
(With Agency Inputs)