‘It is not nationalism, but cowardice’: Rahul Gandhi on Jaishankar’s China remark

In a scathing attack on External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said his recent remarks on China did not show nationalism but cowardice and that these were in line with VD Savarkar’s ideology of “bowing before the strong”.

Referring to Jaishankar’s “China is a bigger economy than India,” Rahul Gandhi said at the 85th plenary session in Raipur: “A minister says in an interview that India has a smaller economy than China. So how can we fight them? Was our economy very big when we were fighting the British?” Rahul Gandhi said.

Cowardice

“This is Savarkar’s ideology to bow before the one who is stronger than you. So you will fight only with those who are weaker than you? This is called cowardice,” Rahul Gandhi said. “And India’s minister is telling China that we can’t stand in front of you because you are stronger than us. What is this nationalism? There is a term for it. We are called satyagrahi but they are sattagrahi,” he said.

Also read: Rahul Gandhi: ‘My arrogance was wiped out after first month of Bharat Jodo Yatra’

Recently, Jaishankar, in an interview with news agency ANI, defended India’s policy on China amid the tensions along the Line of Actual Control. “They are the bigger economy. What am I going to do? As a smaller economy, I am going to sort of go pick a fight with a bigger economy? It’s not a question of reacting to it. It’s a question of common sense,” Jaishankar had said.

Adani issue

The Congress leader also hit out at the Prime Minister on Adani issue. “In Parliament, I attacked Adani…He gets advantage of your policies everywhere, even in Israel and Sri Lanka,” he said, adding, “I only asked the PM to explain what his relationship with Adani was. I showed a photo of Modi relaxing in Adani’s plane.”

“The entire government, all ministers came out to defend and protect Adani. They say anyone attacking Adani is a deshdrohi…Why are BJP and RSS protecting him, what is it about Adani that he needs to be protected? Adani deals in defence and the Indian government doesn’t even know about these shell companies. This is a matter of national security,” Rahul Gandhi said.

Speaking about expunction of parts from his speech in Lok Sabha, he said: “I asked the PM a simple question about his relationship with Adani. He could have given a simple answer that there is no relationship. He didn’t. There is a relationship. Modi and Adani are one. The entire wealth of this country is being funnelled to this one man and when we ask the PM about this, our speech is expunged.”