Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sought to corner the Narendra Modi government over the recently-signed trade deal between India and the US, and stressed that US President Donald Trump must engage with New Delhi “as an equal, not as servants”. Mounting his attack at the Centre, he asked, “Are you not ashamed of selling Bharat Mata.”
Speaking in Lok Sabha during the ongoing Budget Session, Gandhi emphasised the significance of India’s strategic autonomy and said that the country should safeguard its national interest in all negotiations.
The Congress leader went on to say that India must prioritise its energy security in a volatile global environment. Referring to changing geopolitical equations, he underscored that India’s foreign policy should be guided by national interest and strategic balance, especially in matters concerning energy supplies and international partnerships.
The LoP also said that India should not be compared with Pakistan in any diplomatic or strategic context. “We will not be made equal to Pakistan,” he said, noting that India’s global standing, economic strength and democratic framework set it apart.
He further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was wrong in stating that the “era of war is over”. He said that global conflicts and geopolitical tensions indicate otherwise.
“I was looking at the economic survey and two points I found there, solid points, profound points that I liked. First point, that we are living in a world of intensifying geopolitical conflict… The dominance of the United States is being challenged by the Chinese, by the Russians, by other forces,” he said.
“The second thing is that we are living in a world of energy and financial weaponisation. The main thing they are saying here is that we are moving from a world of stability to a world of instability. Prime Minister stated, and NSA stated, shockingly, some time back, that the era of war is over. In fact, we are moving into the era of war. You can see war is there in Ukraine, war was there in Gaza, war is there in the Middle East, threat of war is there in Iran. We had operations in Sindoor. So we are moving into a world of instability,” he added.
Gandhi also invoked a martial arts analogy and said that the foundation of the discipline lies in maintaining a grip on the opponent. “Some time back, Kiren Rijiju ji asked me how I keep fit. I told him that I practice Jujutsu and martial arts…The foundation of martial arts starts with the ‘grip’. Without the grip, nothing happens. First comes the grip, then the second grip, and then it leads to the choke. The choke focuses on the neck and secures control,” he added.