New Delhi: The BJP on Monday backed party president Nitin Nabin's remarks targeting the Congress, alleging that the opposition party's leadership has a "foreign mindset" and it works at the behest of foreign powers to "divide and undermine India".
The remarks came after Nabin, addressing a public meeting in Hyderabad on Sunday, alleged that the Congress family's mindset is "Italian rather than Indian", and that a government driven by such a mindset will get no opportunity in India.
Backing Nabin's statement, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged that the INC no longer stands for 'Indian National Congress', but for anti-India 'Italian National Congress' or 'Islamabad National Congress'.
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"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 alleged in a video statement.
Targeting Rahul Gandhi, Poonawalla claimed that the Congress leader criticises India's economy, democracy and sovereignty during his foreign visits.
"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, says they were beaten. Even the Supreme Court chastised him, saying no Indian speaks like this," Poonawalla alleged.
He also accused Gandhi of seeking to divide the country on caste lines and attacking India's institutions.
"He says he wants to fight the Indian state and divides India on caste lines. So 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, went shirtless to 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," Poonawalla claimed.
"That is why it is not the Indian National Congress; it is the anti-India Italian National Congress or the Islamabad National Congress," Poonawalla alleged.
