NEW DELHI: Indian democracy is under threat and several leaders, including him, are under surveillance, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed during a lecture at Cambridge university this week.
Gandhi, who is a visiting fellow of the Cambridge Judge Business School, during a lecture ‘Learning to Listen in the 21st Century’ on Tuesday evening said Indian democracy was under attack on several counts, including through the capture and control of media and judiciary, surveillance and intimidation, coercion by federal law enforcement agencies, attacks on minorities, Dalits and tribals, and the shutting down of dissent.
“In my view, Narendra Modi is destroying the architecture of India. So, I am not bothered about two or three good policies… if he is blowing our country to smithereens. I think that is what he is doing. He is imposing an idea on India that India cannot absorb. India, as I said, is a union of states. It is a negotiation and if you try to force one idea on a union, it will react,” he said.
He also underlined the targeting of opposition leaders and the shrinking space for conversations and negotiations within India’s federal structure.
Referring to the controversial Pegasus snooping issue, Rahul alleged that the Israeli spyware was installed on the phones of a large number of politicians, including him. “I, myself, had Pegasus on my phone. A large number of politicians have Pegasus on their phones … So, this is a constant pressure that we feel,” the 52-year-old former Congress chief claimed at the lecture, a video recording of which was posted on Twitter by Congress leader Sam Pitroda. He said constraints are being imposed not only on opposition leaders, but on Parliament, free press and the judiciary.
As the sharp comments irked BJP which accused Rahul of defaming India on foreign soil with a design, Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Supriya Srinate defended the remarks, saying the saffron party must mend its ways. Shrinate said PM Modi had also made commented on internal politics and India’s political opposition while touring Shanghai, Toronto, California, Seoul and Abu Dhabi. “Rahul Gandhi has talked about strengthening democracy. Those who give statements of ‘Goli maaro’ from stage and become cabinet minister, they can never understand the meaning of these remarks,” Shrinate said.
In his lecture, Gandhi had also said that it is very difficult, as an opposition leader, to communicate with people in light of the assault on media and the democratic architecture.
Watch Minorities are under attack: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at Cambridge University
Gandhi, who is a visiting fellow of the Cambridge Judge Business School, during a lecture ‘Learning to Listen in the 21st Century’ on Tuesday evening said Indian democracy was under attack on several counts, including through the capture and control of media and judiciary, surveillance and intimidation, coercion by federal law enforcement agencies, attacks on minorities, Dalits and tribals, and the shutting down of dissent.
“In my view, Narendra Modi is destroying the architecture of India. So, I am not bothered about two or three good policies… if he is blowing our country to smithereens. I think that is what he is doing. He is imposing an idea on India that India cannot absorb. India, as I said, is a union of states. It is a negotiation and if you try to force one idea on a union, it will react,” he said.
He also underlined the targeting of opposition leaders and the shrinking space for conversations and negotiations within India’s federal structure.
Referring to the controversial Pegasus snooping issue, Rahul alleged that the Israeli spyware was installed on the phones of a large number of politicians, including him. “I, myself, had Pegasus on my phone. A large number of politicians have Pegasus on their phones … So, this is a constant pressure that we feel,” the 52-year-old former Congress chief claimed at the lecture, a video recording of which was posted on Twitter by Congress leader Sam Pitroda. He said constraints are being imposed not only on opposition leaders, but on Parliament, free press and the judiciary.
As the sharp comments irked BJP which accused Rahul of defaming India on foreign soil with a design, Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Supriya Srinate defended the remarks, saying the saffron party must mend its ways. Shrinate said PM Modi had also made commented on internal politics and India’s political opposition while touring Shanghai, Toronto, California, Seoul and Abu Dhabi. “Rahul Gandhi has talked about strengthening democracy. Those who give statements of ‘Goli maaro’ from stage and become cabinet minister, they can never understand the meaning of these remarks,” Shrinate said.
In his lecture, Gandhi had also said that it is very difficult, as an opposition leader, to communicate with people in light of the assault on media and the democratic architecture.
Watch Minorities are under attack: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at Cambridge University
