Rahul Gandhi mocks Modi’s foreign policy, Dikshit’s Meloni remark sparks row

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday took a swipe at the Narendra Modi government over its foreign policy, saying it had reduced diplomacy to hugging foreign leaders. He then hugged Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit to drive home his point.

The exchange, however, sparked a controversy after Dikshit asked Gandhi whether he had hugged him “thinking he was Meloni (Italian PM Georgia Meloni)”, to which Rahul replied, “I have not reached there yet”.

Rahul’s hug triggers row

The remarks drew sharp criticism from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, who accused Gandhi of using “objectionable and indecent language”.

Addressing the Rachnatmak Congress National Convention, Rahul said it had somehow been ingrained in Modi’s mind that foreign policy was about hugging leaders. He then hugged Rachnatmak Congress chief Sandeep Dikshit to demonstrate what he said was the current government’s approach to foreign policy.

“Imagine the ignorance... where did he get the idea that foreign policy was about hugging leaders,” he said. Dikshit then asked Gandhi, “Ek cheez pooch sakta hoon? Meloni samajh ke toh nahi pakda tha?”

‘RSS, a bunch of jokers’

Rahul further referred to the BJP-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh as a “bunch of jokers” who have no understanding of India.

He said the BJP-RSS's political philosophy was to impose an order on India that benefits them and certain other people, while the Congress wanted to allow the country to “express itself”.

“If you look at what was happening at Jantar Mantar, the students wanted to express themselves, but the government stated that ‘we want order and you cannot express yourselves’,” he said.

He said the political battle was between those who wanted to impose an order on others and those who wanted people to express themselves.

The Congress leader claimed that the RSS had lost its original character and had been “captured and utilised by large capital”, naming industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani.

“The RSS as an original force is dead, they are gone. Now the RSS is an instrument of large capital. They are servants of Mr Adani, just like Mr Modi is a servant of Mr Adani,” he alleged.

He asserted that the RSS had originally represented sections of India’s small businessmen but that its character had changed over the years.

BJP hits back at Rahul

Meanwhile, the BJP launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi over his remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of using "uncultured and indecent" language and lowering the dignity of the office of the leader of the opposition.

Hitting back, Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi asked Gandhi to grow up and accused him of insulting the people of India by attacking the prime minister.

"Rahul Gandhi, when will you grow up? Running India requires mature leadership, not amateur dramatics. Calling a democratically elected government 'jokers and clowns' proves you are out of your depth," Joshi said in a post on X.