Overview

• Speaking at EIA University in Colombia, Rahul Gandhi said India faces a “wholesale attack” on its democratic system, calling it the country’s biggest risk.
• He contrasted India’s decentralised, diverse polity with China’s authoritarian model and said India cannot adopt Beijing’s approach to manage its complexity.
• Gandhi criticized demonetisation and GST as harmful to small and medium businesses, warned that a service-led economy is not creating enough jobs, and urged a democratic path to expand manufacturing.
• BJP figures including Shehzad Poonawalla, Gaurav Bhatia, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Amit Malviya, and MP Kangana Ranaut condemned the comments as defaming India on foreign soil and labeled him a “Leader of Propaganda.”
• Congress leader KC Venugopal countered that Gandhi was highlighting governance and economic failures, arguing the critique reflects concerns already drawing global notice.