Modi Govt Made Strategic Mistake, Brought China-Pak Together: Gandhi

New Delhi: India's main opposition leader  Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on the BJP led government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing it of "bringing China and Pakistan" together and making a "huge strategic mistake" in Jammu and Kashmir. 

Speaking during the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address,  Congress party leader and MP also accused the government of "destroying the voice of the union of states" through instruments like the "Election Commission, judiciary, and Pegasus spyware".

The Congress leader said the single biggest strategic goal of India's foreign policy has been to keep Pakistan and China separate, but the Modi government has undone it.

"China has a clear vision and I can clearly see without any confusion in my mind that China has a plan. The plan has been put in place in Doklam and Ladakh. Do not underestimate what we are facing. This is a very, very serious threat to the Indian nation," Gandhi said.

"...and if you haven't realised what the Chinese and Pakistanis are planning, look at the weapons they are buying, look at their activity, look at who they are talking to... I am clearly saying in Parliament that we have made a massive blunder and we need to make sure that we can defend ourselves against the Chinese," the Congress leader added.

In his fiery speech Gandhi said that the country has been surrounded by adversaries on all sides and is isolated in the region.  India is now "at risk from outside and inside", and that is a "very dangerous place" for a nation to be, Gandhi said.

He claimed that India didn't have a guest for Republic Day this year because the country is "completely isolated and surrounded". "We are surrounded in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Afghanistan and China," he said, calling it "the single biggest crime against the people of India".

On Gandhi's remarks, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar asked if China and Pakistan were "distant" earlier.

Gandhi also accused the Modi government of using the judiciary, the Election Commission and Pegasus spyware as "instruments to destroy the voice of the union of states". 

Accusing the BJP of weakening India, Congress leader targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the "idea of a king is back".

There are now two distinct India's, he said, one of the rich and the other of the poor. "The gap between the two is growing," he said.

Gandhi tore into the government over unemployment and said it was because of "your flawed vision that two Indias are being created."

"You keep talking about Make in India, Make in India. Make in India is not possible anymore. You have destroyed 'Made in India'. You need to support small and medium industries, otherwise 'Make in India' is not possible. Small and medium industries are the only ones who can create jobs".

Gandhi once again alleged that only a handful of industrialists are benefiting because of the BJP government. "One person gets every port in India, every airport, tower, transmission, mining, green energy, gas distribution, edible oil. Everywhere there is (Gautam) Adani ji. The entire wealth of the country is going to a chosen few."

Gandhi also accused the ruling BJP of bringing back the idea of a "king of India".

"You will never ever in your life rule over the people of Tamil Nadu. No matter what fantasies you have, you will never ever rule over the people of a state of India," he said as he illustrated his point on cooperative federalism, "conversation and negotiation".

"That is the only way India has been ruled. You can look at Ashoka, Maurya, the country has always been ruled by conversation and negotiation," he said.

"My great grandfather was jailed for 15 years while he was building this thing. My grandmother was shot 32 times. My father was blown to bits. So I understand a little bit about what this country is. You are fiddling with something very, very dangerous. I am advising you to stop. Because if you don't stop you will create a problem. The problem has already started in the Northeast, in Tamil Nadu - it's not visible to you right now - Jammu and Kashmir," Gandhi said.

It demonstrated "a complete lack of understanding of history", he said, calling it a clash between the idea of a Union of States versus the idea of a king.

"We smashed that idea of a king in 1947. Now the idea of a king has come back. A king, a shahenshah. A ruler of rulers, a master of masters..."

The BJP attacked Rahul Gandhi over the speech, accusing him of making a "directionless, confused speech" without any understanding of India's history.

"He is a confused leader. He should know the history before commenting on China. He is talking about PM Modi as a king -- he himself got a chance in politics because he is from the Gandhi family. Modi earned his place by working hard," said Union Minister Prahlad Joshi.