New Delhi [India], August 13 : Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday criticised the Modi administration's diplomatic approach, arguing that international relations require safeguarding national interests rather than relying on "mere friendships" and public displays of warmth.
During the Ratchnatmak Congress National Convention, Gandhi said that the government's job is to protect the nation's interests rather than "hugging politicians".
Recalling a childhood visit to the United States when his grandmother was Prime Minister, he shared an anecdote involving Indira Gandhi and Nancy Reagan to illustrate the superficiality often perceived in diplomatic optics.
"I don't know where it came from; this idea got into their heads. I don't know who put it there or where it came from, the idea that foreign policy means hugging politicians. I was young. We went to America. Since we're talking about expressions, I'll share this. We went to America. I was twelve years old. Priyanka, myself, my mother, and my grandmother---my grandmother was the Prime Minister. There was a state dinner--an official dinner. My grandmother and mother went to the official dinner," he said.
"We were children, so we were left at home; we were playing. Two or three hours later, my grandmother returned. She said, 'Sonia, these Americans take me for a complete fool.' So my mother asked, 'Why?' My grandmother replied, 'Didn't you notice? Nancy Reagan was wearing a dress the same colour as my sari," he added.
Emphasising that diplomatic visits are more than friendly meetings, he said, "You aren't just visiting a friend's house. In this role, the Prime Minister of India doesn't engage in mere friendship. They have no interest in friendship; their job is to protect the country."
The Congress leader claimed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has fundamentally changed, moving away from its historical base of small-scale Indian traders and goldsmiths to become an instrument driven by "large capital."
He argued that the original spirit of the RSS, which he described as once representing small-scale Indian businessmen, jewellers, and goldsmiths, has ceased to exist.
"The RSS has been utilised, captured, and utilised by large capital. The RSS ceased to exist long ago. What was the RSS? The RSS was the expression of the small Indian businessman: goldsmith, jeweller. That was the RSS. That died. It's gone. And they stand there with their lathis and all, making a fool of themselves. The RSS as an original force is dead. Now the RSS is the instrument of large capital," he said.
Gandhi emphasised that political movements must connect with the modern realities of the nation rather than focusing on historical or ancient narratives.
"I can naturally say this about my friends in the RSS. It's obvious to me. In fact, it's obvious to most people that these people have no understanding of India. Why? Because somebody who cannot connect with India as it is today cannot understand India. To understand India, you can't understand India 3,000 years ago. You have to understand it today, right now. And to understand it today, the only way to understand it today is to understand its expression," he said.