‘Any controversial statement by him on foreign soil would give fresh ammunition to BJP against the Congress’.
NEW DELHI: All eyes would be on Rahul Gandhi who is scheduled to visit the United States on 31 May for the first time after his disqualification as a Lok Sabha member. In the US, Gandhi has plans to address the Indian diaspora at the Madison Square Garden and also deliver a speech at Stanford University. An analyst said, “All eyes would be on Gandhi, as any controversial statement by him on foreign soil would give fresh ammunition to BJP against the Congress back in India.”
The visit comes at a time when the Congress is on a high after the party’s resounding victory in Karnataka. Congress leaders believe that Rahul Gandhi’s reputation in the party has increased manifold and given him more political confidence to deal with issues picked up by the BJP. “It was after a long time that Congress was able to tame the BJP by strategically choosing what to focus on and what to address. And this will help him convey the significance of his idea and importance of the Congress.”
Last time, Gandhi’s remarks at Cambridge University had triggered a political slugfest with the BJP accusing him of maligning India on foreign soil, and the Congress defending by hitting back, citing instances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi raking up internal politics abroad.
Moreover, referring to the controversial Pegasus snooping issue, Gandhi had alleged that the Israeli spyware was installed on the phones of a large number of politicians, including his. “I, myself, had Pegasus on my phone. A large number of politicians have Pegasus on their phones. I’ve been called by intelligence officers who say please be careful what you say on the phone because we are sort of recording this stuff. So, this is a constant pressure that we feel.”
Additionally, a section of experts believe that Gandhi will speak his mind and lay firm foundation of a narrative that will help him consolidate his idea of politics back in India. Interestingly, Rahul Gandhi’s visit will be followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States on 22 June where US President Joe Biden will host him for an official state visit to the US, which will include a state dinner, on 22 June, White House said. However, experts believe that as the US has recently published a critical report on religious freedom in India, Rahul Gandhi’s visit may bring the critical report indicators into attention just before the PM’s visit. According to reports, the former Wayanad MP will hold a rally of about 5,000 NRIs in New York’s Madison Square Garden on 4 June. The rally will be part of his 10-day visit to the US scheduled to begin on 31 May. Madison Square is a massive indoor arena where Prime Minister Modi held an impressive show with overseas Indians and NRIs back in 2014.