Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has found himself embroiled in yet another controversy following his recent statements in London. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused Gandhi of insulting India on foreign soil. Joining in the criticism is Anirudh, the son of Rajasthan Tourism Minister Vishvendra Singh, who has accused Gandhi of insulting the country from abroad.
Anirudh took to Twitter on March 8, tagging a news report about Gandhi’s statements made in the Grand Committee Room of the British House of Commons. He wrote, “The microphones of our Parliament are silent. They insult their country in the Parliament of another country, or maybe they consider Italy their motherland.” Anirudh, who is a loyalist of Sachin Pilot, whom he calls ‘Mamaji‘, also criticized Gandhi’s choice of speaking overseas, asking, “Can he not speak all this garbage in India? Or he genetically prefers European soil?”
The controversy surrounding Gandhi’s statements has led to criticism from within his own party, with Congress workers speaking out against Anirudh’s comments. Anirudh, it seems, is on an anti-Rahul Gandhi campaign of late.
He has been sharing tweets by BJP leaders like Shehzad Poonawalla and Sambit Patra against Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Anirudh also questioned Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, calling it ‘nautanki‘ or drama.
He recently attacked the Gandhi family directly, saying: “I have travelled in the northeast and seen how their economies were first exploited by the British, then by the colonial Italians via the Gandhi family. Finally they are feeling secure and progressed. Jai Shree Ram!”
Anirudh’s strained relationship with his father, Vishvendra Singh, has also come to the fore now. In May 2021, Anirudh accused his father of being violent towards his mother and being addicted to alcohol. He claimed that his father had destroyed his friends’ businesses and that he had not been in contact with him for six weeks.
Vishvendra Singh was one of the Congress MLAs who rebelled against the Gehlot government in 2020 along with Sachin Pilot. He was the tourism minister at the time but was stripped of his post for organizing a rally against Gehlot. However, he was later re-inducted into the ministry by Gehlot and the two grew closer.
Gandhi’s comments have come under fire from multiple sources, including the BJP and Anirudh. The controversy has highlighted the deep divisions within the Congress party and the challenges it faces in maintaining unity. Despite the criticism, it remains to be seen whether Gandhi will modify his stance or continue to defend his statements.