The Bharatiya Janata Party launched a sharp attack on Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday, accusing him of disrespecting India while on a visit to Germany. The criticism came after Gandhi made remarks about the state of India's manufacturing sector during his tour.
"Insulting India from Foreign Soil": BJP's Strong Accusation
BJP spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra led the charge, stating that Gandhi carries a "huge responsibility" as LoP and must act responsibly, especially when abroad. "Parliament is in session here, several Bills are being discussed in the House and Rahul Gandhi is in Germany to address the Indian diaspora," Patra remarked, highlighting the timing of the comments.
The controversy stems from Gandhi's visit to the BMW factory headquarters in Munich. Patra alleged that the Congress leader praised German manufacturing while simultaneously portraying India in a negative light. "Today, we saw Rahul Gandhi visiting BMW factory in Munich and there, he appreciated their manufacturing and said that he is sad that manufacturing is poor in India," Patra claimed.
Data vs. Rhetoric: The Manufacturing Debate
Patra strongly rejected Gandhi's characterization of Indian manufacturing as fragile and declining. He presented economic data to counter the claims. "Insofar as manufacturing is concerned, IIP (index of industrial production) is on a positive growth trend. In 2025 manufacturing in the country has grown at a record 5.4 per cent," the Puri MP stated.
He further emphasized India's broader economic performance, noting, "Also right now our GDP is growing at 8.2 per cent, we're among the fastest growing GDPs in the world, in which around 17 per cent contribution is of manufacturing." Patra concluded his criticism with a personal jab, asserting, "Rahul and responsibility can never move together. Whenever he visits abroad, he insults Parliament and India."
Congress's Perspective and Gandhi's Stance
Earlier, the Congress party had shared a video on social media platform X showcasing Rahul Gandhi's visit to the BMW plant. The post highlighted his inspection of various cars and motorcycles. It specifically mentioned, "He was pleased to see TVS's 450cc motorcycle, developed in partnership with BMW—a proud moment to witness Indian engineering on display."
However, the post also reiterated Gandhi's critical stance on the central government's manufacturing policy. Quoting him, Congress stated, "Manufacturing is the backbone of strong economies. Sadly, in India, manufacturing is declining. For us to accelerate growth, we need to produce more - build meaningful manufacturing ecosystems, and create high-quality jobs at scale."
In a separate video shared by the party, Gandhi elaborated, "India needs to start producing. Production is the key for the success of any country. And our manufacturing is declining which actually should be going up."
Rahul Gandhi is currently in Germany as part of an outreach programme and is scheduled to address the Indian diaspora community in Berlin on December 17. The incident has sparked a fresh political row, with the BJP framing it as an issue of national dignity versus the Congress positioning it as a necessary critique of economic policy.
