The political debate over India’s position on the West Asian crisis intensified on Monday, as Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking at an event in Vadodara, the Opposition leader questioned the Prime Minister’s speech in the Lok Sabha on Monday, particularly pointing out what he called the “obvious omission”, and the absence of any direct reference to the US. Gandhi said Modi’s silence was not accidental but an indication of a deeper issue.
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“I heard that the Prime Minister gave a 25-minute speech. But I guarantee that he cannot participate in a debate in Parliament because he is a compromiser. Narendra Modi spoke for 25 minutes but did not say a single word against America. Narendra Modi is 100% under Trump’s control,” he said, referring to former US President Donald Trump.
The senior Congress leader also criticized the economic decisions. He claimed that the government’s temporary trade arrangements with the US could have dire consequences for Indian farmers. By comparing the two countries’ agricultural systems, Gandhi warned that increased access to American goods could put local farmers at risk.
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He said: “In India there are small farms where people work manually, while in America there are large farms with machines. If American goods start arriving in India, our farmers will be devastated.”
Apart from trade and diplomacy, Gandhi also spoke about issues of identity and rights of tribal communities. He criticized the use of the term “Vanvasi”, saying that it changes the understanding of Adivasi identity.
“Adivasi means the indigenous people of India – the rightful owners of this land, water and forests (jal jangal jamin). But the RSS-BJP has introduced a new term ‘vanvasi’, which means you are only living in the forests, not that you are the rightful owner of these resources,” he said.
Referring to the tribal symbol Birsa Munda, Gandhi accused the ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, of paying symbolic respect while undermining the very principles it stood for. “Narendra Modi and BJP leaders fold their hands in front of Birsa Munda’s statue, but they are attacking the very ideas for which Birsa Munda fought and was martyred,” he said.
He further claimed that policies affecting land, water and forest rights pose a direct challenge to both tribal communities and constitutional values. “When the BJP takes away land, water and forests from Adivasis, it is not just an attack on Birsa Munda, but also on the Constitution,” he added.
Speaking for the first time in Parliament since the start of the US-Iran war in West Asia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India is dealing with multiple economic, security and humanitarian challenges arising from the war, while ensuring that its citizens and key supplies remain protected.
Raising concerns about unrest in the Strait of Hormuz, Modi said attacks on commercial ships were “unacceptable” and that the government was closely monitoring routes to ensure supplies of crude oil, gas and fertilisers were not interrupted.
