"Will Deal With It": Rahul Gandhi Says Questioning Polls "Not Good Enough"

India's institutional framework is under a full-scale assault and has been weaponised to favour the ruling BJP, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has said. Gandhi's address at the Hertie School in Berlin has drawn a sharp response from the BJP, with party chief JP Nadda accusing the Congress leader of abusing India abroad.

"...we fundamentally believe that there is a problem with the electoral machinery in India. (The) second thing is that there is a wholesale capture of our institutional framework. When you look at our intelligence agencies, you look at the CBI, you look at the ED, they've been weaponised. Look at the number of cases that the ED and the CBI have against the BJP people. You'll find the answer is zero. And look at the number of cases they have against people who oppose them," he said.

"So there is an atmosphere in India where the institutions are not performing the role that they should be performing. From our perspective, Congress perspective, we help build the institutional framework. So we never viewed it as our own institutional framework. That's not how the BJP sees it. The BJP views the institutional framework of India as belonging to them. And so they use it as a tool for building political power. Just look at the difference between how much money the BJP has and how much the opposition has. You'll see a ratio 30:1," he said.

Gandhi said the Opposition has to find ways to counter this. "It's not good enough for us to say, oh, you know, there's a problem in the elections. We will deal with it. And we will create a method, a system of opposition resistance that will succeed," he said.

“Democracy is not merely a system of government—it is a constant process of engagement, responsibility, and accountability.”

Speaking at the Hertie School in Berlin, Shri Rahul Gandhi reflected on leadership, democracy, and global responsibility in a rapidly changing world.… pic.twitter.com/DtvTFE5Pwv

— Indian Overseas Congress (@INCOverseas) December 19, 2025

Responding to a question on the INDIA alliance, Gandhi said people tend to see the alliance building up when an election comes. "Look at it slightly differently. All the parties of the INDIA alliance do not agree with the basic ideology of the RSS. That's the point. And you can ask any of them. None of them will tell you that actually we believe in the ideological position of the RSS. So we are very much united on that question. But we have tactical contests that take place, and we will continue to have them," he said.

"But you will see that when it comes to the Opposition requiring unity, and you see it every day in Parliament, for example, we are very united. And we will contest the BJP on laws that we disagree with. It's a deeper battle now than simply elections. Now we are fighting a battle for an alternate vision of India," Gandhi said.

The Leader of the Opposition's remarks abroad drew a strong counter from BJP chief and Union Minister Nadda. "When Parliament is in session, Rahul Gandhi is in Germany. And he is giving speeches against India there. And when is he giving? When Prime Minister Modi ji is being respected more than 29 times, then he goes and abuses India," he said.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said Gandhi is again on a "Defame India" tour. "He goes abroad, defames India, tells lies. He is not the Leader of Opposition but the Leader of Propaganda. He has said in Germany that there is no manufacturing in India, and institutions have been razed. China, he has said, is doing well. Praise China, defame India, this is Rahul Gandhi's identity now."