The Indian National Congress on 14 August mounted a vigorous defence of Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, after his remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign policy triggered a sharp political row. Congress leaders insisted Gandhi had not mocked anyone and turned the fire back on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of 'spreading lies.'

The controversy erupted a day earlier when Gandhi, speaking at the Rachnatmak Congress National Convention in New Delhi, suggested that Modi's diplomacy was largely defined by hugging foreign leaders — a characterisation the BJP condemned as an insult to the country's foreign policy standing.

What Congress Leaders Said

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari, who was present at the convention, flatly rejected the BJP's characterisation. 'Rahul Gandhi didn't mock anyone; he was just talking about our foreign policy,' Tiwari said. He also invoked past BJP rhetoric, pointing to Modi's 'Didi, O Didi' reference to former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the description of Congress leader Renuka Chowdhary as 'Surpanakha' in Parliament. 'So it will be better that an issue is not made on a particular statement; otherwise we also have many questions for them,' Tiwari added.

Congress MP Tariq Anwar, who was not at the event, urged restraint on both sides. 'There is no need to take it so seriously...he must have said it in a lighter vein,' Anwar said, adding that the matter 'should be taken lightly.'

UP Congress Chief and Other MPs Weigh In

Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai framed Gandhi's remarks as a factual observation rather than a personal attack. 'Rahul Gandhi ji only showed that PM Modi ji's way of working is like this — hugging people from foreign countries. He did not take anyone's name. The BJP should not speak lies...He showed that PM Modi ji's foreign policy is about hugging people,' Rai said.

Congress MP Jebi Mather went further, questioning the BJP's scale of response. 'One word Rahul Gandhi ji says, five leaders of the BJP get up. One line Rahul Gandhi ji makes, ten press conferences are conducted by ten leaders. So, if they think from a comedy point of view, why are they getting so agitated?' Mather said.

Clarifications on Who Gandhi Was Referring To

Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat sought to pre-empt speculation that Gandhi's remarks targeted any specific foreign leader, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. 'Rahul Gandhi was referring to the way the Prime Minister travels abroad and the kind of gestures he makes,' Bhagat said.

Congress leader Udit Raj echoed that view, arguing that the conduct in question reflected poorly on India's international image. 'The unnecessary hugs, laughter and handshakes are hurting the dignity of the Prime Minister as well as the nation, and leading to the degradation of our foreign policy,' Raj said.

The Broader Political Context

The exchange is the latest flashpoint in an ongoing pattern of verbal confrontations between the Congress and the BJP ahead of the Independence Day celebrations on 15 August. Gandhi's foreign policy critique, while framed informally, touches a recurring opposition argument: that Modi's personal diplomacy has not translated into measurable strategic gains for India. The BJP is expected to respond formally, and the episode is likely to reverberate in Parliament's next session.