Giacomo Filibeck, Secretary General of the Party of European Socialists, on Saturday, 14 November expressed deep concern over what he described as the ongoing 'hijacking' of democracy in India, speaking at the Bharat Summit 2026 in Hyderabad. His remarks came shortly after Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi delivered a sharp critique of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government, alleging that Indian democracy had been systematically dismantled.

What the European Leader Said

Filibeck did not mince words at the Congress-organised summit. 'The reason why we are extremely concerned with the way the hijacking of the democracy is ongoing in India is that new facts have emerged, and Rahul Gandhi has explained them very clearly to the audience of this conference,' he said.

'We cannot tolerate that what was once the largest democracy in the world to become a corrupted one. So, we stand by Rahul Gandhi, the Congress party, in defending democracy in India,' he added. The remarks represent a notable instance of a senior European party official publicly aligning with an Indian opposition party on domestic political matters.

Rahul Gandhi's Address and Congress Leaders' Reactions

Rahul Gandhi used the summit platform to allege that crores of voters who participated in the 2014 general election are no longer on the electoral rolls, raising questions — according to Telangana Congress Vice-President Kota Neelima — about the legal standing of elections held since that year. Neelima called Gandhi's address a 'powerful speech' and framed the challenge to democracy as 'a global problem, not a problem of one nation.'

Congress leader and former Union Minister Salman Khurshid described the summit as a gathering of voices 'from across the entire world' who are concerned about democracies being 'distorted and crushed.' Congress MP Praveen Chakravarty highlighted exchanges with senior political leaders from Ecuador, Thailand, and Norway, and noted a discussion on the Brazilian election as an example of learning from international progressive parties.

BJP's Counterattack

The event drew a sharp rebuttal from the ruling party at the Centre. Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy questioned how the Telangana state government could 'officially spend public funds on behalf of the Congress party,' demanding that the state explain the 'nature of its collaboration' and the 'formal procedures being followed.'

Reddy also turned the investment argument on its head, targeting Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy's claim that the summit would attract foreign investment. 'Given that his own leaders are busy claiming that the country is currently under a fascist government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi — how does he expect foreign investors to invest in a nation supposedly run by fascists?' Reddy told reporters.

Broader Context and What It Signals

The Bharat Summit 2026 marks a deliberate effort by the Indian National Congress (INC) to internationalise its democratic concerns, drawing participation from progressive parties across multiple continents. This comes amid a sustained opposition campaign ahead of several state assembly elections and the broader political cycle leading up to the next general election. Notably, the involvement of a European party body adds a diplomatic dimension that the BJP has moved quickly to contest on grounds of sovereignty and fiscal propriety.

Whether the summit translates into tangible political momentum for the Congress — or hands the BJP a counter-narrative about foreign interference in Indian politics — will likely play out in the weeks ahead.