India
‘A in INDIA alliance’: Rahul Gandhi’s misstep during speech to Indian Americans goes viral | India News – Times of India
NEW DELHI: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi found himself at the centre of an unexpectedly candid dialogue with a student over the much-praised ‘INDIA Alliance‘.
The episode, which started with a simple question about coalition dynamics, quickly grew into a viral moment on social media.
The student questioned Rahul and began quizzing him on the vision and practical feasibility of the INDIA alliance, especially in light of the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The student’s question cut straight to the heart of the perceived weakness of the coalition:
“You are leading the INDI Alliance, seen as an alternative to the BJP-led NDA. With unresolved seat-sharing issues with Mamata Banerjee’s TMC and Hindutva-based partners like Shiv Sena, how can this coalition function beyond just removing Prime Minister Modi?” the student asked.
Rahul, who addresses the larger issue of the alliance‘s view, he quickly corrected: “INDI is the cadre of the BJP, it is an alliance with INDIA,” he said.
However, the persistent student wondered what the “A” in INDIA stood for.
The brief silence that followed from Rahul. After a pause, he replied that “A” stood for “Alliance,” a moment that seemed to throw the crowd off balance.
The student further asked whether it would not be redundant to call it the INDIA Alliance.
Rahul managed to clarify the ideological basis of the INDIA bloc. “No, it is not redundant because the whole idea of the alliance was to make it clear to the people of India that India is under attack,” he said, bringing the conversation back to what the alliance stands for, describing it as a united front to challenge what he described as the BJP’s monopolization of power.
Critics of the ruling party reacted immediately, seeing the moment as a sign of the general internal confusion within the opposition.
This came after a row broke out over Rahul’s remarks, who said that the “battle in India today is whether a Sikh can wear his turban and kada and visit the Gurdwara”.
The episode, which started with a simple question about coalition dynamics, quickly grew into a viral moment on social media.
The student questioned Rahul and began quizzing him on the vision and practical feasibility of the INDIA alliance, especially in light of the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The student’s question cut straight to the heart of the perceived weakness of the coalition:
“You are leading the INDI Alliance, seen as an alternative to the BJP-led NDA. With unresolved seat-sharing issues with Mamata Banerjee’s TMC and Hindutva-based partners like Shiv Sena, how can this coalition function beyond just removing Prime Minister Modi?” the student asked.
Rahul, who addresses the larger issue of the alliance‘s view, he quickly corrected: “INDI is the cadre of the BJP, it is an alliance with INDIA,” he said.
However, the persistent student wondered what the “A” in INDIA stood for.
The brief silence that followed from Rahul. After a pause, he replied that “A” stood for “Alliance,” a moment that seemed to throw the crowd off balance.
The student further asked whether it would not be redundant to call it the INDIA Alliance.
Rahul managed to clarify the ideological basis of the INDIA bloc. “No, it is not redundant because the whole idea of the alliance was to make it clear to the people of India that India is under attack,” he said, bringing the conversation back to what the alliance stands for, describing it as a united front to challenge what he described as the BJP’s monopolization of power.
Critics of the ruling party reacted immediately, seeing the moment as a sign of the general internal confusion within the opposition.
This came after a row broke out over Rahul’s remarks, who said that the “battle in India today is whether a Sikh can wear his turban and kada and visit the Gurdwara”.
