Like separatists holding Indian flags: Rijiju on Rahul's 'foreign help' charge at PM

Kiren Rijiju accused Rahul Gandhi of advancing an anti-India agenda and ridiculed his demand for a debate on foreign influence, escalating the war of words triggered by PM's charges against the Opposition.

In Short

• Rahul Gandhi accuses PM Modi of foreign help to gain power
• Gandhi challenges Modi to open debate on foreign backing
• Union Minister Rijiju mocks Gandhi's claim as self-ridiculing

Rahul Gandhi’s charge that Prime Minister Narendra Modi relied on "foreign help" to ascend to power has drawn a sharp response on Tuesday from Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, who likened the Leader of Opposition's remarks to "Islamic fundamentalists talking about secularism".

Dismissing Gandhi's call for an open debate on who received "foreign help", the Opposition or PM Modi, Rijiju said that "top-level debates are done between matured people".

Last week, taking a swipe at the Congress, PM Modi alleged that "certain forces are continuously engaged in conspiracies to divide the country". In a veiled reference to Gandhi’s foreign trips, the Prime Minister questioned, "Who is secretly meeting whom abroad? Whom are anti-India forces supporting?"

Gandhi hit back, accusing Modi of becoming Prime Minister with foreign help and continuing in office with the backing of foreign forces.

"Your financial system is fully controlled and supported by foreigners. Foreign social media fully backs you. I challenge you to an open debate about this. Any stage, any time. Come if you have the guts," Gandhi wrote.

Countering the Congress leader on Tuesday, Rijiju accused him of "pushing agendas of India's enemies" and said that accusing others of receiving foreign support was self-ridiculing.

"It's same as Islamic fundamentalists talking about secularism, separatists holding Indian flags and anarchists showing Constitution book," he added.

During his Gujarat visit on Saturday, Modi alleged that obstructionist forces were attempting to divide the country and that social media was being used to spread rumours.

"When the country was seeking solutions to external challenges, some forces within the country were also creating instability by spreading lies and rumours. But the countrymen stood shoulder to shoulder with the nation," the Prime Minister said.

Taking a swipe at the Opposition, Modi said it had turned into an "Avrodh Paksh" (obstructionist faction) rather than a "Virodh Paksh" (opposition).

"It is our misfortune that at this time in the country, the opposition has turned into an Avrodh Paksh rather than Virodh Paksh. In their frustration, these people are standing as obstacles in the way of the country's development. This is not opposition; this is obstruction," he said.

"Due to the frustration of more than a decade, these people have now come out in the open. Who is secretly meeting whom abroad? Whom are the anti-India forces supporting? Who is speaking the language of India's enemies? We will have to recognise all these patterns," Modi added.

Gandhi subsequently turned the allegations back on the Prime Minister, accusing him of relying on foreign support to remain in power. Rijiju's latest remarks have escalated the war of words, with the Union Minister accusing the Congress leader of advancing an anti-India agenda.

- Ends