New Delhi: The war of words between the Congress and the BJP continues following the shirtless protest by Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers at the AI Summit. In this context, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday posed sharp questions to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, referring to the country’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Goyal said that BJP National President Nitin Naveen, during a press conference in Patna, described how the Gandhi family has been an example of “compromising politics.” Piyush Goyal alleged that Rahul Gandhi and his Congress party have consistently compromised national interests. He said, “Be it the Congress’s history, its present, or various corruption cases, all indicate that the party has been compromising public and national interests under the influence of foreign forces. This kind of politics harms the bright future of the country and its citizens, and there are numerous examples of this before the public.”
He alleged that Rahul Gandhi has been seen taking positions against his own country, sometimes on issues like Soros and sometimes on Pakistan. Union Minister Goyal further stated that Rahul Gandhi has harmed India’s economy and appears to be working under the influence of foreign forces. Calling Rahul Gandhi the “poster boy of negative politics,” Goyal said he has traveled abroad 247 times and has repeatedly ignored protocol.
He also alleged that in the sensitive border region of Ladakh, Rahul Gandhi was in contact with foreign individuals who work against India’s interests. Referring to the Bofors scandal, Goyal said that a fair investigation was denied to protect a friend, Ottavio, and the Gandhi family compromised the country. He also said that even during Indira Gandhi’s tenure, allegations of influence by foreign agencies continued to plague the Congress party.
The Union Minister said that not only Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, but many leaders from the family, from Jawaharlal Nehru to Rajiv Gandhi, were accused of compromising national interests. Referring to the 1971 Shimla Agreement, he said that 93,000 Pakistani prisoners of war were released, but why was Pakistan-occupied Kashmir not taken back? He also said that in 1954, Nehru had renounced India’s rights in Tibet, which was another major compromise. He claimed that the Nehru-Gandhi family’s politics has always been one of compromise with national interests.
Rahul Gandhi, speaking at the Congress’s “Kisan Mahachaupal” at Jawahar Chowk in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, strongly criticized the government in protest against the trade agreement between India and the United States. He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi compromised the interests of the country’s farmers through an international agreement. He stated that the agreement was stalled for four months, and negotiations on agricultural issues stalled.
He claimed that the Prime Minister made the decision abruptly, without consulting with the relevant ministers during this period. He stated that the government did not want major American companies to sell agricultural products like soy, cotton, and corn in India, as this could harm Indian farmers. According to him, negotiations were stalled for four months, but after his speech, the Prime Minister called then-US President Donald Trump and agreed to the agreement without consulting the cabinet. Rahul Gandhi, attacking the Prime Minister, said that Narendra Modi weakened the country’s farmers and even released their data. He alleged that the government’s policies had also affected the textile industry.
