Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has once again questioned the functioning of India’s democratic and institutional system, this time from abroad. Speaking at an interaction in Berlin during a visit to Germany, Gandhi alleged that key central agencies and constitutional institutions in India are being misused to target political opponents, while those aligned with the ruling party are left untouched.
Addressing students and academics at the Hertie School, Gandhi said there was a “serious problem” with how institutions were functioning in India. He claimed that agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation were being used as political tools by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
According to Gandhi, opposition leaders and businessmen who support the Congress often face pressure from investigating agencies, while those who back the BJP are not acted against. He said this pattern showed that India’s institutional framework was under “complete control” of the ruling party. He added that these institutions were never meant to serve one political party but were built to serve the country as a whole. 
The Congress leader, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said that the Congress had helped build many of these institutions over the years and had always respected their independence. He alleged that this tradition had now changed, and institutions were being seen as instruments of political power.
Gandhi also raised fresh concerns about the electoral process in India. Repeating his earlier claims, he alleged that elections in some states were not conducted fairly. He specifically referred to the 2024 Haryana Assembly elections, claiming that the Congress had evidence to show irregularities. He said the party had approached the Election Commission over issues such as duplicate voter entries but did not receive satisfactory answers.
“We believe there is a deep problem with the electoral machinery,” Gandhi said, adding that while the Congress had accepted defeats in some elections, it had serious doubts about the fairness of others. He pointed out that the party had won elections in states like Telangana and Himachal Pradesh, but raised concerns about the conduct of polls in Haryana and Maharashtra.
During his speech, Gandhi also criticised the economic policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He claimed that the current economic model had reached its limits and was no longer capable of delivering results. According to him, the BJP and the RSS had continued many policies from the era of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh without offering a new or effective alternative.
Gandhi said that while many Indians support Prime Minister Modi, a large section of the population disagrees with his vision. He warned that this vision could deepen social divisions and create tensions within society. Describing the current political situation as a “clash between two visions”, he said the Congress would continue to resist what it sees as the capture of democratic institutions.
The BJP reacted sharply to Gandhi’s remarks. Party leaders accused him of speaking against India on foreign soil and harming the country’s image. BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari questioned Gandhi’s intentions and said that someone who truly loved the country would not make such statements abroad. In a post on social media platform X, Bhandari alleged that Gandhi was trying to create unrest and instability in Indian democracy, and even linked him to foreign influences, including George Soros.
Another BJP leader, Shobha Karandlaje, also criticised Gandhi’s comments. Speaking to reporters, she said Gandhi repeatedly travels abroad to criticise India and behaves more like a “child” than a responsible national leader. She accused him of damaging the country’s reputation and questioned what he hoped to achieve by making such remarks outside India.
