The BJP on Monday threw its weight behind party president Nitin Nabin's remarks targeting the Congress, accusing the opposition of having a "foreign mindset" and alleging that it works at the behest of foreign powers to weaken and divide India.
The controversy stems from Nabin's speech at a public meeting in Hyderabad on Sunday, where he claimed that the Congress leadership's mindset was "Italian rather than Indian" and asserted that a government guided by such thinking would never get an opportunity to govern the country.
Echoing those remarks, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that the Congress no longer deserved to be called the "Indian National Congress", but should instead be described as the "Italian National Congress" or the "Islamabad National Congress".
"Nitin Nabin ji is absolutely right. The Congress family's bodies are here, but their mindset is abroad. With that foreign mindset, they constantly divide and undermine India at the behest of foreign powers," Poonawalla said in a video statement.
Stepping up his attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Poonawalla alleged that Gandhi routinely criticises India's economy, democracy and sovereignty during his visits abroad.
"Isn't it true that Rahul Gandhi is abroad even now, perhaps planning some conspiracy against India? He goes to foreign soil and abuses India's economy, democracy and sovereignty. He goes abroad and says Operation Sindoor did not happen. He attacks our armed forces and says they were beaten. Even the Supreme Court chastised him, saying no Indian speaks like this," he alleged.
Poonawalla further accused Gandhi of attempting to divide the country on caste lines and undermining India's institutions.
"He says he wants to fight the Indian state and divides India on caste lines. It is very clear that the agenda is to take George Soros' money and contract to divide and attack India and its institutions. He attacked the AI Summit, attacked India's self-reliant vaccines, defence preparedness and armed forces. In opposing the BJP, he is attacking India and the Indian state itself," he claimed.
Reiterating the BJP's criticism, Poonawalla alleged that the Congress was functioning against the country's interests.
"That is why it is not the Indian National Congress; it is the anti-India Italian National Congress or the Islamabad National Congress," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
