Rahul Gandhi has accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of launching a “full-scale assault” on India’s institutional framework, alleging that key agencies have been weaponised to favour the government. His remarks, delivered during an address at the Hertie School in Berlin, triggered a sharp political backlash from the BJP, which accused the Congress leader of running down the country on foreign soil.
Speaking as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi said the integrity of India’s democratic processes was under strain. “We fundamentally believe that there is a problem with the electoral machinery in India,” he said. “The second thing is the wholesale capture of our institutional framework.”
He alleged that investigative agencies were being used selectively against political opponents. “When you look at our intelligence agencies, the CBI and the ED, they’ve been weaponised,” Gandhi said. “Look at the number of cases that the ED and the CBI have against BJP leaders, you will find the answer is zero. Now look at the number of cases against people who oppose them.”
Gandhi argued that this imbalance had distorted the political playing field. “There is an atmosphere in India where institutions are not performing the role they should,” he said, adding that the Congress viewed institutions as national assets rather than party property. “That’s not how the BJP sees it. The BJP believes these institutions belong to them and uses them as tools to build political power.”
Pointing to campaign finance disparities, Gandhi said, “Just look at the difference between how much money the BJP has and how much the Opposition has. You’ll see a ratio of 30:1.” He said the Opposition must develop ways to respond. “It’s not enough to say there’s a problem with elections,” he said. “We will create methods and systems of opposition resistance that will succeed.”
Responding to a question on the INDIA alliance, Gandhi said the bloc’s unity was ideological rather than merely electoral. “All the parties of the INDIA alliance do not agree with the basic ideology of the RSS,” he said. “On that question, we are very much united. But we have tactical contests, and we will continue to have them.”
He added that unity was evident when it mattered most. “When the Opposition requires unity, you see it every day in Parliament,” Gandhi said. “We will contest the BJP on the laws we disagree with. This is now a deeper battle than elections, we are fighting for an alternative vision of India.”
The remarks drew a swift response from BJP president and Union minister J P Nadda, who accused Gandhi of attacking India abroad. “When Parliament is in session, Rahul Gandhi is in Germany giving speeches against India,” Nadda said. “He does this when Prime Minister Modi is being respected internationally.” BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also hit out, alleging that Gandhi was on a “Defame India” tour. “He goes abroad, tells lies and runs down India,” Poonawalla said. “He is not the Leader of the Opposition but the Leader of Propaganda.”
