Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Jagat Prakash Jadda slammed former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday, questioning his intent behind casting aspersions on India's democracy on foreign soil.
"I want to ask Rahul Gandhi what are his intentions behind urging Europe and America to interfere in India's domestic matters," said Nadda, adding that seeking foreign interference in India's internal matters is an attack on the country's sovereignty.
What Did Rahul Gandhi Say in London?
In early March, during a lecture at the Cambridge Judge Business School (Cambridge JBS) on "Learning to Listen in the 21st Century," Congress parliamentarian Gandhi said, "Indian democracy is under attack."
"What is happening is that the institutional framework which is required for a democracy — parliament, a free press, the judiciary — just the idea of mobilization, just the idea of moving around … these are all getting constrained. So, we are facing an attack on the basic structure of Indian democracy," he added.
He claimed that intelligence officers had warned him to be "careful" while speaking on the phone, as his calls were being recorded. Since Gandhi's speeches, BJP spokespersons and parliamentarians have been demanding an apology from him for his comments in London.
The BJP said that Gandhi's remarks had insulted and undermined the Indian parliament, judiciary, and media.
Federal minister Kiren Rijuju said that Gandhi is speaking the language of "anti-India forces" and a "gang" conspiring to defame India.
Congress has ruled out an apology, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi has often attacked the party on his trips abroad.
Gandhi's Speech Prompts Ruckus in Parliament
On Thursday, Gandhi told reporters that he wants to respond to allegations against him inside the House. However, BJP parliamentarians are saying he should apologize first.
The second leg of the parliament's Budget Session has seen constant adjournments and protests.
While the governing BJP is demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi over his remarks, the opposition is aggressively demanding an inquiry into the allegations of Hindenburg against the Adani Industrial Group.
Meanwhile, Congress has alleged that audio of the proceedings in parliament was muted on Friday morning. Opposition lawmakers claimed that their mikes were muted during the proceeding in the House earlier this week.