Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over remarks he made at the Bharat Summit 2026 in Hyderabad, accusing him of defaming India, its democracy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi before an international audience. Speaking after laying the foundation stone for the National Heavy Engineering Cooperative in Pune, Shah advised Gandhi to stop his foreign trips and visit villages across the country if he wanted to return to power, saying that defaming India on international platforms would not help him get there.
The remarks followed Gandhi's address to the second edition of the summit, organised by Telangana's Congress government on November 13 and 14. Gandhi told the gathering that defeating PM Modi was a "done deal", claimed the country's democratic framework had been damaged since 2014, accused the ruling establishment of behaving like fascists and alleged manipulation of electoral processes. He also criticised the Centre over foreign delegates who were reportedly denied entry or had their visas cancelled ahead of the summit.S1S2
Shah turned the criticism back on the Congress, saying the party had invited propagators of leftist ideology from across the country and the world to the summit. He accused the party of venting frustration over three consecutive Lok Sabha defeats and warned Congress workers to question their leadership over its electoral record, adding that the party could remain out of power for another 30 years if it continued on the same course. He also alleged scams worth Rs 12 lakh crore during the Congress-led UPA government's two terms from 2004 to 2014, and claimed no corruption allegation had been levelled against Modi in 12 years in office.S1S2
Shah cited agriculture, industrial growth, the space sector, railways, airports, metro networks and the startup ecosystem as achievements of the Modi government, pointing to India's lunar mission and railway modernisation. He urged voters to give the Congress a "fitting reply" in the upcoming elections.S1S2
