New Delhi:
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the BJP government in the Lok Sabha, linking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative’s failure to the increasing presence of Chinese troops on Indian soil.
His remarks sparked immediate backlash from the ruling party, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju dismissing the claims as false. Rijiju also urged Speaker Om Birla to demand proof from Gandhi, prompting Birla to rebuke the Congress MP, insisting he substantiate his statements.
During his Motion of Thanks on the President’s speech, Gandhi initially struck a conciliatory tone, acknowledging that both the Congress-led UPA and BJP-led NDA had struggled to address unemployment. He commended the ‘Make in India’ concept but argued it had failed to boost domestic manufacturing.
“Manufacturing’s share in GDP has dropped from 15.3% in 2014 to 12.6%—the lowest in 60 years. The PM tried, but ‘Make in India’ has failed,” Gandhi stated, emphasizing India’s reliance on Chinese-made components.
Switching focus to the India-China border dispute, he alleged, “China occupies over 4,000 sq km of our land. The Prime Minister denies it, but the Army contradicts him.” He warned that India risked relying on Chinese-made technology in future conflicts.
Gandhi also mocked the government’s handling of foreign relations, taking a jab at External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to the U.S. before Donald Trump’s swearing-in. Rijiju swiftly countered, condemning the remarks as baseless and irresponsible.
Ending on a reflective note, Gandhi urged Modi to embrace truthfulness and uphold the values of national leaders like Sardar Patel and B.R. Ambedkar. “Hatred and anger are destroying our country,” he warned, while asserting that his speech had been “polite and kind.”