Review the final output Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the BJP-RSS on August 14, 2026, calling its members “a bunch of jokers” who have no understanding of India’s history or philosophy. Speaking at the Rachnatmak Congress National Convention held at the Constitution Club in New Delhi, the Congress leader also mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s approach to diplomacy, claiming the PM believes foreign policy is all about hugging world leaders.
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## “No Understanding of India’s Philosophy or History”
Rahul Gandhi attacked the BJP-RSS, accusing them of ignorance about Indian philosophy and history. He said the opposition was facing individuals who didn’t grasp the country’s heritage or values. “A lot of people in India are behaving like cowards. But you’re fighting a bunch of jokers, clowns who have no idea about our philosophy, no idea about our history…” he declared.
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## The “Meloni” Moment and Diplomatic Critique
While speaking, Gandhi hugged fellow Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on stage to make a point about what he perceives as Modi’s cuddly foreign policy. Referring to the hug, Dikshit joked, “Did you hug me thinking I was Italian PM Giorgia Meloni?” Gandhi responded, “I have not, I have not reached that yet.”
He doubled down on his criticism, saying that recent diplomacy under PM Modi seemed to revolve around hugging global leaders — a contrast to what Gandhi sees as the need for substance in international relations.
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## Big Capital, RSS, and Parliament Absence
Gandhi accused the RSS of being “captured and utilised by large capital, Mr Adani and Mr Ambani,” arguing that the organisation has strayed far from its roots in representing small Indian business owners.
He also criticized Home Minister Amit Shah, referring to him as “so-called Chanakya, so-called Sardar Patel,” for his prolonged absence from Parliament. Gandhi claimed Shah stayed away for 20 days, unable to face parliamentary scrutiny. “For the first time, they are feeling India’s expression,” he remarked.
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## BJP’s Response: A “New Low”
The BJP didn’t hold back its counterattack. BJP national Mahila Morcha president Vanathi Srinivasan condemned Gandhi’s words, especially the “Meloni” joke, calling it disrespectful toward women and a serious lapse in political maturity. She said, “Debate policies. Challenge decisions. But respect people. This is a new low for public discourse.”
Education Minister and BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar called Gandhi’s comments “deeply disgraceful,” while others accused him of disrupting parliamentary decorum through arrogance and indiscipline.
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## Wider Implications and Context
– **Domestic political stakes**: Gandhi’s remarks deepen tensions between Congress and the BJP-RSS, coming at a time when political rhetoric is increasingly polarized.
– **Foreign policy under scrutiny**: The criticism of diplomacy-as-spectacle could bolster the opposition’s narrative that India’s external relations need more substance than ceremonial gestures.
– **RSS’s evolving role**: By highlighting allegations of corporate capture, Gandhi reinvigorates longstanding debates over RSS’s transformation from grassroots movement to an entity intertwined with powerful industrialists.
– **Public diplomacy & symbolism**: The “hugging world leaders” metaphor strikes at the heart of how power is projected internationally, raising questions about whether soft power needs to be backed by tangible outcomes.
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