While the Indian government is rejecting any foreign interference in domestic matters in India, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has decided to take the opposite path. The Kerala MP stroked a massive outrage today by asking for American interference in India’s internal matters.
Rahul Gandhi made the comments during an online interaction with Ambassador Nicholas Burns of the Harvard Kennedy School. The Gandhi scion was invited by the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics to talk about challenges and opportunities in India and reflections on politics and public service.
Nicholas Burns is a former American ambassador to Greece, and currently a Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Rahul Gandhi asked for American interference in India towards the end of the program, after host Nicholas Burns had delivered his concluding remarks. After Burns concluded the session, Rahul Gandhi asks if he can make a quick ending comment. He then proceeds to say, “I don’t hear anything from the US establishment about what is happening in India. If you are saying partnership in democracy is, I mean, what’s your view on what is happening here?” Burns was visibly shocked after hearing this open offer from Rahul Gandhi for asking for America to comment on India’s internal matters.
Rahul Gandhi also added, “I fundamentally believe, that America is a profound idea. The idea of freedom, the way it is encapsulated in your constitution is a very powerful idea. But you got to defend that idea. And that’s the real question.” However, Nicholas Burns didn’t respond to this specifically, only saying that when they will hold the next session in two weeks with another guest from India, they will discuss these matters.
During the session, Rahul Gandhi also extensively criticised the Narendra Modi government in the program by the American university. He also brought the matter of poll officials using a vehicle belonging to a BJP leader to carry EVMs after the elections. He complained that this was a very serious matter which was not being covered by national BJP. He alleged that BJP has absolute dominance over media.
He also alleged that BJP has complete control over the system, including the judiciary, and therefore the opposition parties were not being able to contest against BJP.
