Unfortunate: Government on Rahul Gandhi's 'memory loss' remark comparing PM, Biden

The government said that remarks made by Rahul Gandhi were unfortunate, and were not in keeping with warm and friendly ties with the US.

In Short

• Rahul Gandhi had said PM Modi was losing memory like Joe Biden
• Government calls remarks contrary to India's position with US, Biden
• Says India-US ties built on years of togetherness, mutual respect

The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday condemned remarks on PM Modi's memory made by Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi and called it "unfortunate". During a speech in Maharashtra a few days back, Rahul Gandhi had said that PM Modi was losing his memory, and had likened it to that of US President Joe Biden.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday reacted to Rahul Gandhi's November 16 remarks, and said it was not in line with the friendly ties shared between India and the US. He said that the two countries enjoyed a "multifaceted partnership" built on years of perseverance and mutual respect.

"India shares a multifaceted relationship with the US, and this partnership is built over years of perseverance, togetherness, mutual respect and commitment by both sides. We see such remarks as unfortunate, and they are not in keeping with warm and friendly ties with the US and do not represent the position of the government of India," the government said.

Rahul Gandhi made the remarks against the PM on November 16, while addressing a rally in Maharashtra's Amravati.

The Congress leader had said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was beginning to show signs of memory loss, likening him to Joe Biden, who frequently makes headlines for his verbal gaffes and missteps.

The Raebareli MP recalled an incident where Biden, 81, had mistakenly introduced Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Russian President Vladimir Putin at an event.

He asserted that Modi, 74, had been saying in his speeches that the Congress was attacking the Constitution.

"For the past one year, I have been saying that the BJP has been attacking the Constitution in my speeches. But, PM Modi is saying that Congress is attacking the Constitution. He came to know that people were getting angry, and he is now saying that I am attacking the Constitution," he said.

Notably, the Congress has been constantly maintaining over the last few months that the Modi government in the Centre is trying to undermine the Constitution through its policies, while the government has been denying such claims as bare imagination.