BJP accuses Rahul Gandhi of seeking foreign interference after ‘democracy destroyed’ remark

BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari criticised Gandhi in a post on X following his address at the Bharat Summit 2.0 in Hyderabad, where the Congress leader accused the ruling BJP of undermining democracy and questioned the growing influence of money and power in the country’s political system.

Bhandari alleged that Gandhi was attempting to secure the removal of the Narendra Modi government with the backing of foreign delegates and individuals associated with organisations linked to Soros. He further accused the Congress leader of inviting foreign interference in India’s democratic affairs.

In his post, the BJP spokesperson described Gandhi as a “puppet of foreign powers and George Soros” and alleged that his remarks at the summit reflected an attempt to bring about regime change with external assistance.

Bhandari also questioned Gandhi’s conduct as Leader of the Opposition, accusing him of acting in a manner that served foreign interests and could create instability in India. He further labelled the Congress as “anti-India”.

BJP targets Gandhi over Bharat Summit speech

The BJP’s response came after Gandhi’s address at the Hyderabad summit, where he alleged that India’s democratic institutions and electoral system had undergone a fundamental transformation since 2014.

Addressing the gathering, the Congress leader maintained that democracy in the country had been undermined in 2014, adding that the Opposition had remained bewildered for nearly a decade by the changes in the electoral and political landscape.

Gandhi alleged that enormous amounts of money had entered the political system, accompanied by an unprecedented style of election campaigning that had altered the nature of electoral contests.

He said the earlier political environment, characterised by closely fought elections and coalition governments, had given way to a vastly different electoral landscape. According to him, the Opposition initially struggled to understand these developments and began questioning its own political strategy, ideology and approach.

Gandhi also claimed that the BJP’s assets had increased elevenfold over the past decade. Referring to the Maharashtra Assembly elections, he reiterated his allegation that around seven million new voters had been added to the electoral rolls in the three months preceding the polls, claiming that all of them had voted for the BJP.