Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on Italy visit and gifted his counterpart Georgia Meloni a packet of toffee, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday dubbed it as a “drama and not leadership”.
He also charged at Prime Minister Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah calling them “traitors” and slamming the “Melodi” act as “nautanki (drama)”.
As Modi is on the last leg of visit to Italy, his act of gifiting Melodi toffees to Italian Prime Minister Meloni became the center of target.
Rahul Gandhi in a post on X in Hindi said, “An economic storm is raging over our heads, and our Prime Minister is busy handing out candies in Italy!”
“Farmers, youth, women, laborers, and small traders are all in tears – the Prime Minister is laughing and making reels, while the BJP folks are clapping along,” he said.
The Rae Bareli Lok Sabha MP said, “This isn’t leadership, it’s a drama.”
His reaction came soon after Meloni shared a post on X with Indian Prime Minister by her side and saying that he brought her a beautiful gift from India.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi accused Modi, RSS of attacking Constitution and warned of ‘economic turmoil’.
Rahul Gandhi while addressing a public meeting in Rae Bareli accused Prime Minister Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh of attacking the Constitution and undermining institutions meant to protect weaker sections.
He also warned that the country was heading towards a severe economic crisis driven by global oil disruptions and domestic policy failures.
Addressing the ‘Bahujan Swabhiman Sabha’ organised in memory of Dalit icon Veera Pasi, Rahul Gandhi said: “What would you call a person who attacks and destroys the Constitution? You would call him a traitor. That is why I have openly stated that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are attacking the Constitution.
“They have handed over the nation’s assets to businessmen, dismantled the country’s institutions, and aided in the theft of votes,” he alleged.
He pointed out that the Constitution embodied the ideals and sacrifices of leaders such as Dr BR Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi and social reformers across the country, but warned that its principles were being systematically weakened.
Holding up a copy of the Constitution during his speech, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the document was not merely a book written after Independence, but represented the voices and struggles of people who fought for equality and justice.
He said that while political leaders often pay symbolic tribute to Dr Ambedkar and other icons, they fail to defend their ideology when it comes under attack. “If we remember Ambedkar ji and Veera Pasi ji, then it is our responsibility to protect their ideology and the constitution,” he said.
Launching an attack on the BJP-led government, the Gandhi scion said that the constitutional protections relating to reservation, public sector institutions, free and fair media and justice for people had been eroded.
He accused the government of going for large-scale privatisation, weakening of welfare schemes like MGNREGA and concentration of wealth in the hands of industrialists had damaged the economic security of ordinary citizens.
He further accused the government of manipulating electoral processes, alleging that names of those considered anti-BJP had been removed from voters’ lists in several states, including Maharashtra, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and West Bengal.
The Congress leader also warned of an impending “economic storm”, linking it to domestic policy failures and tensions between the United States and Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
He said that disruption in global oil supplies would trigger unprecedented inflation, rising fuel and cooking gas prices, and fertiliser shortages affecting farmers.
“People have not yet understood what is coming. In the next few months, inflation will rise to levels never seen before,” Gandhi said, adding that farmers, labourers, youth and lower-income families would bear the brunt of the crisis.
Rahul Gandhi reiterated the Congress party’s demand for a caste census, alleging that the BJP government was unwilling to conduct one because it did not want to reveal the socio-economic realities of backward and marginalised communities.
He also accused the government of favouring a handful of corporate groups, alleging that national wealth and strategic economic interests had been handed over to industrialists.
Referring to demonetisation and the COVID-19 lockdown, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the government’s policies had hurt small traders, migrant workers and farmers while benefiting large corporations.
He remarked Prime Minister Modi would again seek public sympathy if the economy worsened.
Rahul Gandhi called for actively defending the constitutional values rather than merely paying ceremonial respect to national icons. He urged party workers and supporters to politically challenge the BJP and RSS over attacks on the Constitution and social justice principles.