'Attack on democracy biggest threat to India': Rahul Gandhi in Colombia

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has once again criticised the Modi government, arguing that the gravest challenge facing India today is the erosion of its democratic framework. Speaking to students at EIA University in Colombia, Gandhi remarked that India’s strength lies in its diversity of religions, cultures and languages, which can only flourish within a democratic setup. “Right now, democracy in India is under siege from all directions,” he said. The BJP swiftly countered his remarks, branding him the “Leader of Propaganda” and accusing him of tarnishing the country’s image abroad. Responding to a query about India’s role on the global stage, Gandhi stressed the difference between India and China, pointing out that while China is centralised and uniform, India functions through decentralisation, allowing multiple languages, religions and traditions to coexist. “Our model is far more complex than China’s,” he observed, adding that democracy is the only viable way to give space to such diversity. He warned, however, of internal risks: “The most significant danger is the systematic attack on democracy. India thrives on conversations between its people, and suppressing these voices damages the very idea of India. Another risk is the growing divide between different regions and communities.” Unlike China, he said, India cannot impose authoritarianism.

Drawing parallels with global power shifts, Gandhi noted that empires in history rose by mastering energy transitions—Britain with coal and steam, the US with oil and combustion engines. The world, he said, is now moving from fuel tanks to batteries. “The real contest between America’s maritime vision and China’s land-based approach is about who dominates this transition. At the moment, China is ahead,” he said, highlighting India’s strategic location “at the centre of these colliding forces.” He also linked unemployment and polarisation in both India and the US, citing Donald Trump’s support base as largely comprising those displaced from manufacturing jobs. In India, he said, economic growth has not translated into adequate employment due to overdependence on the service sector. Unlike China, which has built production capacity under an authoritarian framework, India must find a way to achieve the same within a democratic system. Reacting sharply, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla posted on X: “Once again, Rahul Gandhi acts as LoP – Leader of Propaganda. From abroad, he questions Indian democracy! Sometimes he asks the US and UK to interfere in our matters, and now this. From Sena to Judiciary to Constitution to Sanatan, he spares nothing.”