Intricacies of Rahul's remarks in Cambridge lecture were lost on BJP: Congress

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Sunday said that the intricacies of Rahul Gandhi's remarks in his Cambridge University lecture were lost on the BJP and noted that he had defined key differences between a state-controlled corporation system of China and the pressing need for democratic nations like India to ramp up production mechanisms.

The opposition party's reaction came after the BJP accused Gandhi of maligning India on foreign soil while praising China.

Tagging a short video of Gandhi's remarks at the university, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter, "Rahul Gandhi clearly defines in his Cambridge lecture the key differences between a state-controlled corporation system as there is in China and the pressing need for democratic nations like India to ramp up production mechanisms "the intricacies of which are lost on the BJP."

"Whereas PM Modi simply gushes over his 'close friendship' with the Chinese," Ramesh said, tagging a video montage of Modi talking about ties with China.

Gandhi's remarks at the university that Indian democracy is under attack and several politicians, including himself, are under surveillance, has triggered a political slugfest with the BJP accusing him of denigrating India and asking if Gandhi was working as an agent on the payroll of an agency to bring down the country.

It accused Gandhi of dissuading investors from investing in India at a time when the world is seeing the country as a "bright spot" and foreign firms are leaving China to do business here.

The Congress hit back by citing instances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi raking up internal politics abroad and said the ruling party's statements either stem from ignorance or from "completely contrived politics" both of which have no place in a democracy.

Referencing to a decline in manufacturing in democratic countries such as India and the US in recent years as production shifted to China, Gandhi had said the shift had produced mass inequality and anger which needed urgent attention and dialogue.