"Attacks On Independent Thinking": Rahul Gandhi's Remarks In Chile Irk BJP

A comment from Congress's Rahul Gandhi made abroad, has incensed the BJP again. The party has hit out, accusing him of besmirching India on foreign soil again. This time, Mr Gandhi had spoken of India's caste and education system. But what infuriated the BJP the most appeared to be his allegations that independent thinking in the country is under attack. 

During the interaction with students at the University of Chile, asked what he would like to do about the Indian education system, Rahul Gandhi, referring to a student, said, "The curiosity that Amrita has, I would like to protect it in the Indian education system. And make sure that she can ask questions, she can raise issues, she can think openly without being constrained in any way. So that would be the central idea... And this is, by the way, in India this is under attack. The idea of free thinking, the idea of being open, the idea of being scientific, of being logical, this is under tremendous attack in India currently".

India's social system, he said, is dominated by upper castes, while nearly 90 per cent of the population comes from middle and lower castes. "Their history, traditions, and thinking have not been given a place in education. Our education system is for the upper castes. Therefore, I would like to include the history and traditions of tribal, middle, and lower castes in the education system," he said.

Then he went on to add: "India's education system has suffered greatly in the last ten years. Scientific consciousness has been destroyed because the current government does not believe in a scientific approach. This needs to be corrected. I would like to do this".

"Rahul Gandhi is not leader of the opposition. He is the leader of propaganda, of hypocrisy. He goes abroad and talks against India's constitutional bodies, India's democratic system, India's judiciary, and India's sovereignty -- this has become his habit," said Shehzad Poonawalla, the former Congress leader who is now the BJP's spokesperson

"Rahul Gandhi says he is fighting against the Indian state. From opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he is now into spreading lies against India. He says there is no space for free thinking. That happens in your party. If someone speaks against Rahul Gandhi, what happens? Look At Shashi Tharoor. He was made an example of because he championed the cause of the country and its armed forces," he added. 

Gandhi has recently returned from a trip to South American countries. A video of his interaction at the university was shared on his social media account.

The BJP's criticism of Mr Gandhi has sharpened since his taking the position of the Leader of the Opposition. The BJP has repeatedly criticised the Congress leader after his foreign visits, accusing him of demeaning India abroad. 

The Congress has countered that the target is the Narendra Modi government.