Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda has come out strongly in defence of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s recent visit to Germany, rejecting criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party over both the timing and intent of the trip, which coincided with the Winter Session of Parliament. Pitroda said the attacks were politically motivated and ignored the substance of what Gandhi said during the visit.
Speaking in an interview with India Today TV, Pitroda asserted that Rahul Gandhi represents India when he travels abroad and does not change his positions based on geography. According to him, Gandhi speaks consistently on issues, whether he is addressing audiences in India or overseas, and that consistency is being unfairly portrayed as an attempt to damage the country’s image.
During his visit, Rahul Gandhi toured a BMW manufacturing facility and spoke about India’s industrial base. He argued that India urgently needs to strengthen its manufacturing sector, which he said has been weakening instead of expanding at the pace required to generate jobs and sustain long-term economic growth.
While addressing a gathering in Berlin, Gandhi also alleged that central investigative agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation were being selectively used by the BJP-led government to harass opposition leaders, while individuals aligned with the ruling party were largely spared. These remarks triggered sharp criticism from BJP leaders, who accused him of airing India’s internal matters on foreign soil.
Responding to these allegations, Pitroda said that speaking the truth cannot be conditional on location. He argued that if Rahul Gandhi raises the same concerns inside India, there is no reason he should be expected to remain silent about them when abroad. According to Pitroda, truth does not change with borders, and presenting uncomfortable realities should not be equated with undermining national interest.
Pitroda also dismissed claims that foreign funding or individuals such as George Soros had any role in Gandhi’s overseas engagements. He called such allegations baseless and said Gandhi meets people abroad as part of legitimate political and ideological exchanges. He insisted that these interactions are in no way influenced by external financiers.
He further alleged that the Indian government actively tries to restrict Gandhi’s access to influential figures during foreign visits. Pitroda claimed that Indian embassies often communicate with host countries to discourage meetings between Gandhi and senior leaders or institutions, and that embassy officials closely track his movements. He said similar tactics were used during the German visit.
On the question of Gandhi travelling abroad during Parliament’s Winter Session, Pitroda said international commitments are typically planned well in advance and cannot always be rescheduled to suit parliamentary calendars. He explained that Gandhi had attended a pre-scheduled meeting of the Progressive Alliance, a global platform that brings together democratic political parties from more than 100 countries.
Pitroda emphasised that Gandhi’s remarks in Germany about the weakening of democratic institutions in India were not new or isolated. He said Gandhi has repeatedly made the same arguments at home, warning about what he describes as the capture of institutions and a sustained assault on democratic norms.
Reacting to BJP leaders branding Gandhi a “leader of propaganda”, Pitroda dismissed the criticism as irrelevant. He said such labels neither define him nor Rahul Gandhi, and added that concerns about authoritarian tendencies and democratic backsliding are being debated globally, not just in India. He cited examples from countries such as the United States, Hungary and Turkey to underline his point.
During the interview, Pitroda also addressed domestic political issues. He criticised the practice of renaming welfare schemes, questioning the decision to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act with a new name invoking Lord Ram. He argued that the Prime Minister’s responsibility is to govern for all citizens equally, not to symbolically represent any one community.
He said that invoking religious symbolism in welfare schemes was unnecessary and that leaders like Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi focused on governance rather than projecting religious identities. According to Pitroda, the Prime Minister’s role is to run the country impartially, not to act as the representative of a particular faith or group.
Commenting on the situation in neighbouring Bangladesh, Pitroda said violence against minorities is unacceptable under any circumstances. He added that such acts must be condemned universally, whether they occur in Bangladesh or in India, stressing that human rights and communal harmony should not be compromised anywhere.
