Washington, D.C., September 11, 2024 — Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the “Lok Sabha,” the lower house of the Indian parliament, delivered a keynote address at the Headliners Newsmaker forum in Washington, D.C., on September 10 and engaged with the press at the distinguished National Press Club.
Rahul Gandhi leads the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), a formidable coalition of opposition parties holding 234 seats in the Indian parliament, a significant force with approximately 30 seats short of a majority.
During his address, Rahul Gandhi underscored fundamental aspects of Indian democracy and articulated the Congress party’s alignment with the Modi government on major foreign policy issues. However, he expressed divergence from Modi’s policies on China, stating, “We have Chinese troops occupying land equivalent to the size of Delhi in Ladakh, and I regard that as a disaster.”
Furthermore, he affirmed the Congress party’s agreement with the BJP-led government on other consequential foreign policy matters, including relations with the U.S., the precondition of no talks with Pakistan unless terrorism ceases, and apprehensions regarding extremist elements in Bangladesh.
Rahul Gandhi mentioned two aspects when asked about the state of India-US relations at the press club event. He expressed satisfaction with the status of defense cooperation. However, Mr. Gandhi also highlighted his concern about China’s vision for production and prosperity in a non-democratic environment. He questioned the response and emphasized the need for a democratic vision of production and manufacturing. He pointed out the opportunity for the U.S. and India to work together to provide such a vision to the rest of the world.
Source: National Press Club
— The Editor is a Member of The National Press Club.
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