London, September 8 (Press Ki Taquat)
There is a “full-scale assault” on the democratic institutions of India and there are concerns in the European Union (EU) quarters over this attempt to “stifle” the country’s democratic structures, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Friday.
Interacting with reporters at a media briefing in Brussels, Gandhi, who is on a European tour starting with Belgium, addressed a broad range of topics including the Russia-Ukraine conflict to say that the Opposition agrees with the government’s current position on the issue.
Asked about the reaction of the European parliamentarians to some of these issues, he replied: “They were very concerned and they felt that there is an attempt to stifle the democratic structures of India, for sure. I mean, they were very, very clear with us.” The BJP has previously dubbed Gandhi as the “present-day Mir Jafar of Indian polity” who went overseas seeking help from foreign forces to become a ‘nawab’ in India.
The ruling party had also said that Gandhi had insulted and defamed India with his comments about India overseas, saying, “People have not given this right to him.”
Gandhi said he had “fruitful” conversations with parliamentarians and members of the diaspora at the start of his European tour, which is part of a wider initiative to travel around the world with the Opposition’s vision and have an open exchange of ideas.
