Rahul Gandhi alleges institutional capture, unfair elections in Germany speech; BJP calls remarks anti-India

Rahul Gandhi, speaking at an event in Berlin on Monday during his controversial Germany visit, alleged that a “full-scale assault” is underway on India’s institutional framework, triggering a sharp reaction from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Addressing a lecture at the Hertie School titled Politics Is the Art of Listening, the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition and Congress MP reiterated his allegation of “vote theft” against the BJP-led government, citing duplicate names in voter lists. He claimed that while the Congress won the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections, the Maharashtra Assembly elections held the same year “were not fair”.

“The reason the BJP is attacking the polling system is that they fundamentally don’t believe every Indian is equal. In their mind, there is no way a Dalit is the same as an upper-caste person,” Gandhi said.

He also claimed that the Congress did not receive any response from the Election Commission after flagging concerns over electoral irregularities.

‘Wholesale capture of institutions’

Gandhi accused the Centre of weaponising investigative agencies, alleging a “wholesale capture” of institutions.

“Our intelligence agencies, ED and CBI, have been weaponised. They have zero cases against the BJP, and most political cases are against those who oppose it. If you are a businessman and try to support the Congress, you are threatened,” he said. “The BJP uses institutions as tools to build political power. Just look at the money they have versus the Opposition.”

He pointed out that the Congress had won elections in Telangana and Himachal Pradesh and said the party had repeatedly raised concerns over electoral fairness in India.

“We have clearly shown that we won the Haryana election and that we don’t believe the Maharashtra election was fair,” Gandhi said, adding that the Opposition had directly questioned the Election Commission.

While acknowledging that many Indians support Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi said a large section of the country does not agree with his ideology or vision.

“We believe this vision will fail. It will create massive tensions and make Indians fight each other. This is a clash between two visions of India,” he said.

BJP hits back

The BJP strongly criticised Gandhi’s remarks. Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje said the Congress MP was behaving irresponsibly by making such statements abroad.

“He is not acting like a Leader of Opposition but like an anti-India leader. What does he aim to gain by doing this? He still behaves like a child, not a leader,” she said.

BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari questioned Gandhi’s intent, asking, “Can a man who loves Bharat want India to fail?”

In a post on X, Bhandari accused Gandhi and the Congress of promoting unrest and anarchy, alleging that his statements abroad were aimed at uniting “anti-India forces”.

Rahul Gandhi is on a five-day visit to Germany. During his Berlin address, he also said India’s diversity makes it impossible for one individual to decide the country’s future.

“India is too complex and diverse. It should be a conversation among its states, not rule by the whims of one person,” he said.