New Delhi, 09 October (H.S.): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday accused Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi of increasingly relying on foreign powers and billionaires to sustain his political agenda. Raising questions over Gandhi’s past statements and what it described as a shift in the Congress party’s position on Starlink, the BJP asserted that India is a sovereign nation whose policies must be determined by Parliament and the government in accordance with national interests, rather than through social media platform X.

Addressing the media here on Friday, BJP national co-media in-charge Sidharth Yadav said Gandhi had questioned Indian democracy during visits to London and, on other occasions, spoken in the United States about intervention in India’s democratic affairs. According to Yadav, these statements indicated that Gandhi’s political approach appeared to be extending beyond domestic politics and increasingly depending on support from foreign powers.

The BJP leader also questioned what he described as a change in the Congress party’s position on Starlink. He claimed that the Congress had spoken against Starlink until a year ago, but its stance now appeared to have changed. Yadav asked Gandhi to explain what had changed in such a short period to prompt the alleged shift in the party’s position.

Yadav further questioned whether Gandhi had lost faith in India’s institutions and policymaking processes or was looking towards foreign billionaires for political support and funding. He alleged that attempts were being made to influence India’s policies by aligning political positions with those of foreign billionaires.

In his remarks, the BJP leader drew a comparison between Gandhi’s political conduct and the historical figure Mir Jafar. He alleged that such conduct evoked memories of attempts to weaken the country in collusion with foreign powers.

Reiterating that India is a sovereign nation, Yadav said the country’s policies must be formulated in accordance with the interests of its citizens. He maintained that the government had the authority to make decisions based on the country’s requirements and national interests, adding that no foreign businessperson or billionaire should be allowed to become a channel for influencing India’s policymaking.

Yadav claimed that the people of India understood the intentions of those who, he alleged, sought to influence the country’s policies by acting as proxies for foreign billionaires. He emphasised that national interest must remain paramount in all policy decisions and asserted that India’s future course could not be dictated by foreign pressure or external interests.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar