Congress 'destroyed idea of Modi' in 2024: Rahul in US
What's the story
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has said that the Congress "destroyed" the "idea" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the recent Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking at Georgetown University in Washington DC, Gandhi talked about the financial difficulties faced by the Congress ahead of the polls.
"Yet, the Congress...fought the election and essentially destroyed the idea of Modi. You can see this because, when you watch the prime minister in Parliament now...he's psychologically trapped," he said.
Political shift
'Politics in India has changed...': Gandhi
He added that "politics in India has fundamentally changed."
Gandhi was likely referring to the ruling BJP's drop in numbers, as it now holds 240 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha, compared to 282 in 2014 and 303 in 2019.
Meanwhile, Congress almost doubled its seats from 52 in 2019 to 99, enabling the appointment of an official LoP for the first time in a decade.
Twitter Post
Watch Gandhi's address here
Politics has its ups and downs, and it’s a contest, a competition, and that’s just part of it. I think the way I view it, this has given us and the India alliance a whole lot of space to think about how we go forward.
— Congress (@INCIndia) September 10, 2024
I think politics in India has fundamentally changed. From… pic.twitter.com/Ziry9D6wPo
US visit
'Don't hate PM Modi': LoP
Gandhi also said he doesn't hate PM Modi.
But, he empathizes with him.
He said, "You will be surprised, but I don't actually hate Mr Modi. He has got a point of view, I don't agree with his point of view, but I don't hate him."
"And I think that's a much better place to be in instead of him versus me. I don't think that's productive," added Gandhi, who is on a three-day visit to the US.
RSS attack
Gandhi's comments under fire from BJP
During his US trip, the Congress leader has engaged in multiple interactions, addressing various issues.
His comments have drawn sharp criticism from the BJP, accusing him of disrespecting India on foreign soil.
Earlier, speaking in Texas, Gandhi had targeted the BJP's ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), stating that the RSS views India as a singular idea, while the Congress sees it as a collection of ideas.
"That's the real fight," he added.
Statement
'Fear of BJP vanished...'
Gandhi also said the "fear of BJP" had vanished after the Lok Sabha poll results.
"Within minutes of the election result, nobody was scared of the BJP and the Prime Minister of India. These are huge achievements, not of Rahul Gandhi or Congress, but of the people of India who realised we are not going to accept an attack on the Constitution," he said.