NEW DELHI: Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Sunday took an indirect swipe at the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi after European leader Giacomo Filibeck claimed that democracy was “under attack” in India and expressed support for the opposition party.In a post on X, Rijiju questioned the reactions of Indians when foreign political figures make critical remarks about the country, without naming anyone.“Have you ever seen anyone laughing when India is insulted by a foreigner? I’m not asking about which Indian goes abroad to insult India,” he wrote.
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The remarks came amid a political row over comments made by Giacomo Filibeck, secretary general of the Party of European Socialists (PES), at the Congress-organised Bharat Summit 2026 in Hyderabad.‘Democracy is under attack in India’: European leader backs Rahul GandhiSpeaking to ANI on the sidelines of the summit, Filibeck said international gatherings and conferences were important to draw global attention to challenges facing Indian democracy.“I believe that this kind of gatherings, conference, summit are vital to raise international attention on concerning challenges. Democracy is under attack in India, and we need to defend it, and the best way to defend it is to stand by Rahul Gandhi and the Indian Congress Party,” he said.His remarks drew criticism from the BJP, which accused the Congress of seeking foreign support to challenge the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.