‘Our policy would be similiar’: Rahul Gandhi backs Centre’s stand on Russia-Ukraine war
Speaking to journalists at the National Press Club in Washington, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also answered a range of questions, including on press and religious freedoms in India, the issues faced by the minorities and the state of the economy.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi speaks during an interactive session at Stanford University, in California, USA. (PTI Photo) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is on a three-city tour in the United States, backed the BJP-led Centre’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, saying he would respond similarly to the issue.
Speaking to journalists at the National Press Club in Washington, Gandhi said, “We have a relationship with Russia. We have had a relationship with Russia. We have certain dependencies on them. So I would have a very similar stance as the government of India…At the end of the day, we have to also look out for our interests.”
The Congress leader made the remark while answering a question on how the Congress would assess India’s bilateral ties with Russia in view of the conflict with Ukraine since February 2022.
Gandhi also stressed that the relations between India and the United States was important. “It’s important to have have a defence relationship. But I think we need to also consider other areas (of cooperation),” he said.
During the interaction, Gandhi also answered a range of questions, including on press and religious freedoms in India, the issues faced by the minorities and the state of the economy.
Gandhi is on a six-day visit to the United States. After spending two days in the Bay Area, he arrived in Washington DC to engage with think tank communities and the press in the US capital on Thursday.
Here are top highlights from his interactions in Washington on Thursday
2024 elections to ‘surprise’ people: Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi spoke about the unity amongst the Opposition and said that there is a “hidden undercurrent” building which will “surprise” people in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in 2024. “I think the Congress party will do very well in the next two years. I think it will,” the former MP said.
Gandhi pointed to the outcome of the recently-concluded Karnataka state elections, where Congress had a sweeping majority winning 137 seats in the 224-seat Assembly. “Wait and watch the next three or four state elections…. which is a better indicator of what’s going to happen,” he said.
Gandhi also said that the Congress was constantly engaging with Opposition parties, adding that “quite a lot of good work is happening” in that regard.
“The opposition is pretty well united, and it’s getting more & more united. We are having conversations with all the Opposition (parties). I think quite a lot of good work is happening there. It’s a complicated discussion because there are spaces where we are competing with the Opposition. So a bit of give and take is required. But I am confident that it (a grand Opposition alliance against the BJP at the Centre) will happen,” he said.
What he said on press freedom, minority issues in India
When Rahul Gandhi was asked what the Congress would do to implement to ensure that the rights of the minorities in India if it came to power, he said, “India has a very robust system already in place, (but) that system has been weakened…You have to have an independent set of institutions that are not pressurized and controlled. And that’s been the norm in India. This is an aberration that is taking place in India…If you say that if Congress came to power that they could quickly be restored, quickly.”
Gandhi also said that press freedom is “very, very critical for democracy”.
“It’s not just press freedom. It’s political access on multiple axis, there is a clamp down on the institutional framework that allowed India to talk, that allowed the Indian people to negotiate…. And that structure that allows the negotiation between India’s people is coming under pressure,” he added.
Rahul Gandhi calls Muslim League a ‘secular’ party
On the Congress’s alliance in Kerala, Rahul Gandhi called the Muslim League a “secular party”. “Muslim League is a completely secular party, there is nothing non-secular about them…” he said.
Gandhi’s remarks on the Muslim League drew sharp criticism from the BJP. Amit Malaviya, BJP’s spokesperson and IT cell head said it was the Congress leader’s compulsion to remain acceptable in Wayanad which made him call the Muslim League a “secular party”
In a tweet, Malaviya said, “Jinnah’s Muslim League, the party responsible for India’s partition, on religious lines, according to Rahul Gandhi is a ‘secular’ party. Rahul Gandhi, though poorly read, is simply being disingenuous and sinister here… It is also his compulsion to remain acceptable in Wayanad”.
Jinnah’s Muslim League, the party responsible for India’s partition, on religious lines, according to Rahul Gandhi is a ‘secular’ party.
Rahul Gandhi, though poorly read, is simply being disingenuous and sinister here…
It is also his compulsion to remain acceptable in Wayanad. pic.twitter.com/sHVqjcGYLb
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) June 1, 2023
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The Congress was quick to hit back at the BJP, with party leader Supriya Shrinate calling Malaviya a “fake news peddler”.
“Hey fake news peddler, Good to see you burning the midnight oil. But brace up for some more sleep deficient days tracking Rahul Gandhi’s US trip. You got a sad life man!” she tweeted.
Hey fake news peddler,
Good to see you burning the midnight oil. But brace up for some more sleep deficient days tracking Rahul Gandhi’s US trip.
You got a sad life man! https://t.co/2tYVbLMNqT
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) June 1, 2023
Share
