PUNE:Union home minister Amit Shah Sunday accused leader of the opposition Rahul Gandhi of attempting to tarnish India’s image on an international platform, referring to his remarks at the Bharat Summit 2026 in Hyderabad.The Union minister was addressing a gathering at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of National Heavy Engineering Cooperative Ltd in in Pune.Referring to the Congress-organised summit in Hyderabad on Nov 13-14, Shah said, “The summit was named Bharat Summit, but Rahul expressed anti-India views at an international conference and attempted to defame India on the global platform.”Shah was referring to Rahul’s statement at the summit that India was no longer a democracy and that BJP was “systematically weakening” democratic institutions.“I strongly condemn Rahul ji’s attempt to defame India, India’s development story, India’s democracy and our PM on an international platform,” he said, adding, “Whether it is the governing party or the opposition, or any political party, can you defame India and India’s PM at an international summit?”
“Congress is continuously taking out its frustration in different ways after losing elections for three consecutive terms,” the home minister said, adding that Rahul and Congress would not be able to form govt by criticising the country on international platforms and should instead visit villages and interact with people.“If you want ‘power’, stop travelling abroad and start going to villages in India. Perhaps then, you may get a chance someday… People had given you an opportunity. You committed corruption and scams worth Rs 12 lakh crore. People of the country removed you from office. They made Narendra Modi the PM. In the last 12 years, no allegation of corruption has been levelled against Narendra Modi,” he added.He also asked Congress workers not to follow the party leadership’s approach, and warned, “Rahul Gandhi will not listen, but I want to tell Congress workers that if you continue following them in this direction, you will not get your turn for 30 years.”