Washington DC [US], September 11/ Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi came out heavily against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre over the border standoff with China and said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not handled the situation well.

The Congress leader was speaking at an interaction with media at the National Press Club in Washington DC on Tuesday (local time).

“We’ve got Chinese troops occupying land the size of Delhi in Ladakh, and I think that’s a disaster. The media doesn’t like to write about it. How would America react if a neighbour occupied 4,000 square kilometers of its territory? Would any president be able to get away with saying he’s handled that well? So, I don’t think Mr Modi has handled China well at all. I see no reason why Chinese troops should be sitting in our territory,” Rahul Gandhi said.

Notably, in 2020, the Indian and Chinese troops clashed at Galwan, the same year the pandemic started.

Since May 2020, when the Chinese troops tried to aggressively change the status quo on LAC in eastern Ladakh, both sides have been deployed in forward positions near Patrolling Point 15, which emerged as a friction point in the wake of the Galwan clash.

Over 50,000 Indian soldiers have been stationed since 2020 at forward posts along the LAC, with advanced weapons to prevent any attempts to change the status quo unilaterally on the LAC.

Terming the Chinese vision of production as “non-democratic”, the Raebareli MP stressed on the idea of US and India placing a production vision in a democratic and free society.

“We don’t want to do it like the Chinese are doing it. We don’t want to do it in an environment which is non-democratic, which is not liberal. So the real question for the 21st century, the Chinese have placed a production vision on the table. It’s a non-democratic production vision. Can the United States and India answer that by placing a vision for production in a democratic free society? And I think that’s where a lot of answers lie,” he said.

Rahul, also opened on his new role and responsibilities as the Leader of Opposition, and said there is an ideological war taking place between the INDIA bloc and the BJP-RSS. He further vowed that the Opposition wants to ‘defend’ India’s institutions and provide a broader vision for the country.

“It’s an extension of what I did earlier. There’s an ideological war taking place in India between the Congress and our partners and the BJP and the RSS. They are two completely different visions of India. We believe in a plural vision, a vision where everybody has a right to thrive… an India where you’re not persecuted because of what religion you believe in or what community you come from or which language you speak, versus a much harsher, centralizing vision. So that’s the landscape. And then we fight on that landscape,” the Congress leader further said.

“[We want to] defend India’s institutions, defend the weaker sections in India, defend the lower caste, tribals, minorities, poor people. After the yatra, I try to become the voice of as many people as I can. So for that…you have to go deeper, deep into the agricultural world, the conflicts that are taking place there, into the financial system, into the tax system. So you have to, in a sense, go deep into it, talk to people and then get, understand deeply what they’re saying and then transmit it and at a broader level, provide a vision, INDIA alliance vision for the country, which is obviously going to be fundamentally different than the centralizing, monopolized vision that the BJP is presenting,” he added.

The Congress leader further said that at one time the West used to be the producer of the world, but slowly China took over the responsibility.

He said that not manufacturing enough means, not enough employment can be generated. Rahul further added that there is a huge opportunity for both India and the US to regain the ability to produce.

I am more interested in the act of production: Rahul

“Here in the United States that the West, America, Europe, and India, the West used to be the producer of the world. If you wanted to buy a car, in the 60s, you bought an American car, washing machine, refrigerator…You guys were at the forefront of that. And then somewhere along the line, America decided, India decided, and the West decided that we’re just going to stop. And we handed the whole thing to the Chinese. Now for a country like India, to simply say that we’re going to ignore manufacturing, and only run a services-based economy, it means you cannot give employment to people,” Rahul Gandhi “I am more interested in the act of production- also called manufacturing. Look at what most American, Indian and European countries do. They organize consumption. Uber organizes consumption. Organizing consumption is easy. Organizing production is a completely different ballgame, much more complicated. You have to deal with things when you organize production that you simply don’t have to deal with when you organize production. So to me, there’s a huge opportunity for India and the United States to regain that ability to produce,” he further added.

Speaking on the unemployment situation, the LoP in Lok Sabha said he wants to support small and medium-small businesses and promote a decentralised production system.

“We have a government in Karnataka and Telangana. Each area in India has its own specialty of production. If you go to pretty much any district, Ballari in Karnataka has a very deep textile industry which has been destroyed. So we are looking at these pockets of excellence and then trying to bring modern technology, financial support to build them. So the vision would be more of a decentralized production system. Unlike China, which is huge factories, we would be thinking about smaller and small medium businesses and embedding modern technology into that. We’re testing some of these ideas in Karnataka and Telangana,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi is on a three-day visit to the United States. During this, he has interacted with Indian diaspora besides students and faculty at universities and also met US lawmakers.

This is Rahul Gandhi first visit to the US after he became Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

Washington DC: After launching a tirade of attacks at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, opened up on his thoughts on his rivals and said he doesn’t hate the Prime Minister but only disagrees with his point of view.

The Congress leader was interacting with students and faculty at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, on Monday (local time).

He also said that India essentially, is an idea of mixing and merging, while alleging that BJP and RSS have the “misunderstanding” of seeing India as a bunch of separate things.

“India at heart, is a union of languages, traditions, histories, religion, everything…When you have lunch here, you get first course, second course…we don’t get that, we get a thali, and everything placed in it…it’s a jumble and every food has the same value…so this idea of mixing and merging is in India,” Rahul Gandhi said.

“When Indian people go to their religious places, they merge with their deity. This is the nature of India. The misunderstanding that BJP and RSS have is they think that India is a whole bunch of separate things. So we don’t need to redefine anything, it’s already there,” he added.

Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi On ‘Mohabbat Ki Dukaan’ Slogan

Being asked about the idea of ‘love’ in reference to his ‘Mohabbat Ki Dukaan’ slogan, the Congress leader said he disagrees with Prime Minister Modi’s point of view but doesn’t hate him or consider him as his enemy.

“That’s more fun, you go in politics, you shout at that guy and that guy shouts back at you, then you abuse him, then he abuses you back. It’s boring stuff,” Rahul Gandhi said.

“You will be surprised, but I don’t actually hate Mr Modi…he has got a point of view, fine, I don’t agree with his point of view but I don’t hate him. In many moments, I empathise with him. I don’t think like he is my enemy. He has a different point of view, I have a different point of view. I have empathy and compassion for what he is doing,” he further added.

Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi On The 2 Major Challenges Faced By The Congress Party & The Opposition

He further remarked that the Congress party and the Opposition faces two major challenges; first to contest elections and second of “undoing the damage” done by BJP-RSS.

“First, contesting the election, we are confident that we will fight and win the elections against BJP. In the next two or three months we will win these elections. Then, undoing the damage that BJP and RSS have done to our institutions is a much deeper problem and that is not going to get solved so easily and so simply. I still have 20+ cases against me…There is a huge set of structures that are being used to attack the opposition – investigative agencies, the legal system that continues, that has to stop. The real challenge is to make institutions neutral again,” Rahul Gandhi further stated.

About Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi’s Visit To The US

Rahul Gandhi who is on a visit to the US, will be in Washington for two days. Earlier in the day, he addressed the Indian diaspora in Virginia.

Gandhi, who arrived in Dallas on Sunday, also interacted with students and teachers at the University of Texas. He also addressed the members of the Indian diaspora in Dallas.

The Congress leader called the Indian diaspora in the US a ‘vital bridge’ between two nations.

Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei): Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the Bandar Seri Begawan Airport Tuesday afternoon as he began a two-day visit to Brunei Darussalam – the first ever bilateral trip by an Indian PM to the southeast Asian nation – at the invitation of Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah.

“As we celebrate the 40 years of our diplomatic relations, I look forward to my meetings with His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and other esteemed members of the Royal family to advance our historical relationship to new heights,” said PM Modi in his departure statement ahead of his visit to Brunei Darussalam and Singapore.

About PM Modi’s Visit To Brunei

During his visit, the Prime Minister will engage in bilateral discussions focusing on exploring new areas for cooperation in multiple areas like defence, trade and investment, energy, space technology, health, capacity building, culture, and vibrant people-to-people exchanges.

Last month, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar met Erywan Pehin Yusof, Foreign Minister of Brunei on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings in Vientiane and jointly launched the logo celebrating 40 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

About All The Meet Of PM Modi & Sultan Of Brunei

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Brunei Sultan met for the first time on the sidelines of the 25th ASEAN Summit at Nay Pyi Taw in November 2014. They met once again during the 2017 East Asia Summit held in Manila. In January 2018, the Brunei Sultan, along with the 10 ASEAN Heads of State and Government, visited India for the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit. The leaders were also ‘Guests of Honour’ at India’s 69th Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 2018. In 2013, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Brunei Darussalam to participate in the 11th ASEAN-India Summit and the 8th EAS Summit.

Crowned as the 29th Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam in August 1968, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah undertook his first State Visit to India in September 1992. His second State Visit to India came in May 2008.

MEA On Brunei Darussalam Govt’s Support To India’s ‘Look East’ & ‘Act East’

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Brunei Darussalam government has been supportive of India’s ‘Look East’ and ‘Act East’ policies for expansion and deepening of cooperation with ASEAN.

“Brunei is an important partner for India’s Act East Policy and our vision for the Indo-Pacific, and as we mark a decade of our ‘Act East’ Policy this year, the visit assumes additional significance. Brunei has been our country coordinator in ASEAN from 2012 to 2015 and played a key role in our further engagements with ASEAN and continues to do so today,” Jaideep Mazumdar, MEA Secretary (East), said ahead of the PM’s landmark visit.

Indian naval and coast guard ships have also regularly visited Brunei and two Indian defence companies – Bharat Electronics Ltd and MKU Limited – participated in the Defence Industry Exposition organised by Brunei Armed Forces in June 2024 for the first time. Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah visited the Indian stalls during the expo and appreciated the Indian companies’ participation.

There are currently around 14,500 Indians living in Brunei Darussalam out of the total population of about 450,500 with more than half of the Indian expatriates being semi and unskilled workers, who work in oil and gas industries construction, retail businesses, etc. There is also a substantial number of Indian doctors and teachers working in Brunei.

About PM Modi’s Visit To Singapore

After Brunei, PM Modi will travel to Singapore – a country with which India is exploring enhanced cooperation in digital, skill development, sustainability, healthcare, connectivity, and advanced manufacturing areas.

In his departure statement on Tuesday, PM Modi said that he is looking forward to meeting Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong besides the leaders of Singapore’s vibrant business community.

“I look forward to my discussions to deepen our Strategic Partnership with Singapore, particularly in new and emerging areas of advanced manufacturing, digitalization, and sustainable development. Both countries are important partners in our Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific Vision. I am confident that my visits would further strengthen our partnership with Brunei, Singapore, and the larger ASEAN region,” said Prime Minister Modi.

About The 2nd India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable Held In Singapore

Last week, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw led the Indian delegation at the second India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) held in Singapore on Monday. During their visit, the Indian ministerial delegation also jointly called on Singapore Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong who had led the Singapore delegation for the first ISMR held in New Delhi in September 2022.

“Glad that progress has been made on several fronts since our last meeting. And new ideas for cooperation are being pursued, including in advanced manufacturing and connectivity. These initiatives will pave the way for closer strategic cooperation and partnership between India and Singapore,” the Singapore PM said after his meeting with the visiting Indian ministers on Monday.