Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on democracy during an interaction at EIA University in Medellin, Colombia. Fadnavis said that Rahul Gandhi’s comments reflected a lack of understanding of India’s history and Constitution.
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai after inaugurating a ‘cyber awareness month’ programme, Fadnavis stated, “Rahul Gandhi doesn’t believe in the strength of India’s Constitution. This is because he doesn’t know India’s history.” He also reminded people of the actions of Gandhi’s grandmother, Indira Gandhi, who, according to Fadnavis, attempted to bring autocracy to India. “His (Rahul’s) grandmother, Indira Gandhi, tried to bring in autocracy in the country by changing the Constitution, but Indians rejected her,” he added.
The Chief Minister emphasized the importance of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s role in shaping the Indian Constitution. “This is the Constitution given to Indians by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. Nobody has the power to weaken it,” Fadnavis asserted, calling Rahul Gandhi a "serial liar."
Rahul Gandhi, during his speech in Colombia, had claimed that India’s political system is far more complex compared to China’s. He emphasized that India’s strengths are different from its neighboring country and warned about the "wholesale attack on the democratic system" in India. Gandhi also stressed the importance of allowing different traditions to thrive, stating, “We cannot do what China does, which is to suppress people and run an authoritarian system.”
Fadnavis also took a jibe at Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray. He said that Thackeray’s speech had, in fact, saved him money. “Whatever remarks he made yesterday, he actually saved me Rs 1,000. I had said that if he spoke even a single word about development, I would shell out Rs 1,000. He did not speak a single word on development in the rally,” Fadnavis quipped.
Thackeray, during his address at the Dussehra rally in Mumbai, had likened the BJP to a “single-cell organism amoeba,” which he claimed shifts shape to suit its politics, breaks society, and thrives on unrest. Fadnavis responded by calling Thackeray a “frustrated leader” who resorts to baseless criticism.