Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], October 3 (ANI): Congress General Secretary (Organisation) and MP KC Venugopal on Friday came out strongly in support of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi whose remarks in Colombia triggered a sharp response from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Venugopal accused the BJP of attempting to divert attention from its own actions by targeting Gandhi.
"The democracy of this country is in danger... These people are defaming the country through 'voter chori'... Not Rahul Gandhi. Whenever he tells the truth, these people say he is defaming," Venugopal told ANI in Thiruvananthapuram.
His remarks came after Rahul Gandhi, addressing students at EIA University in Colombia, raised concerns about the state of democracy in India under the present government.
"India has strong capabilities in areas like engineering and healthcare, so I am very optimistic about the country. But at the same time, there are also flaws in the structure that India has to correct. The biggest challenge is the attack on democracy taking place in India," Gandhi said.
The Congress leader further argued that India's strength lies in its diversity and that democracy is essential to preserve it.
"India has multiple religions, traditions, and languages in fact, the country is essentially a conversation between all these people and cultures. Different traditions, religions, and ideas require space, and the best method for creating that space is the democratic system," Gandhi said.
Reacting to his remarks, BJP leader NV Subhash hit out at Gandhi, accusing him of peddling "false propaganda" abroad.
"...Whenever he goes abroad, whenever he addresses the students or leaders over there, he really wants to propagate the false propaganda against the Indian constitution... Rahul Gandhi makes sure that whenever he loses, he blames the Modi government," Subhash told ANI.
The BJP has labelled Gandhi's comments as "anti-India" and "insulting," alleging that he was attempting to tarnish the country's global image. (ANI)
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