New Delhi, October 4(HS): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of maligning India’s image on the international stage following his recent comments on the state of Indian democracy during an address in Colombia.

Speaking at the ‘The Future is Today’ seminar at EIA University in Medellín, Rahul Gandhi said, “India is currently facing a comprehensive assault on its democratic framework, which is the greatest threat to the nation. Corruption has become highly centralised, with three to four major business groups controlling the entire economic structure.”

The BJP criticised the remarks as damaging to the country’s reputation abroad, while the Congress party stood firmly behind Gandhi.

Defending the statement, Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal alleged that the BJP routinely blames the Congress for its own failures, thereby causing embarrassment for India internationally.

Venugopal asserted in a post on X that whether spoken in Colombia or in Kanpur, the reality remains the same — the Government of India has failed to harness the full potential of the economy and is squandering the nation’s demographic advantage.

“The hijacking of our democratic system is an issue that has tarnished us globally, and the credit for this goes to the BJP,” he said. He urged the ruling party to address the shortcomings Gandhi has been highlighting since 2014.

Rahul Gandhi is currently on a visit to four South American countries — Colombia, Brazil, Peru and Chile — where he is meeting political leaders, students and members of the business community. He is presently in Peru’s capital, Lima, where he received a warm reception featuring traditional dance and music.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar