WASHINGTON: Rahul Gandhi, the Congress leader, asserted on Thursday that Kerala's "Muslim League" is an entirely "secular party" with no elements of the opposite. He made these comments in response to a question regarding the Kerala chapter of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the Congress. Regarding the political organisation led by Kerala that has long been a supporter of the state's Congress-led UDF government, Gandhi commented, "I think the person who sent this question has not studied much about the Muslim League."
Gandhi was answering questions from reporters at an open discussion at the National Press Club in Washington while on a current visit to the US. The Muslim League statement received criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which added to the issue already caused by Gandhi's comments in the US.
"The Opposition is pretty well united, and it's getting more and more united. We are having conversations with all the Opposition (parties). I think quite a lot of good work is happening there. It's a complicated discussion because there are spaces where we are competing with the Opposition. So a bit of give and take is required. But I am confident that it (a grand Opposition alliance against the BJP at the Centre) will happen," he added.
The Congress leader emphasised the importance of India's long-standing bilateral relations with Russia in response to a question. "I would respond to Russia similarly to what the BJP did. We (Congress) would be responding in a similar way (to the Russia-Ukraine conflict). Because India has that sort of relationship with Russia and that can't be denied. Our policy would be similar," Gandhi added.
Congressman Gandhi spoke out about his exclusion from the Lok Sabha, claiming that he was "the first to be given the highest punishment for a defamation case." Additionally, he cited the timing of his exclusion from the House of Representatives, asserting that it followed his address in the Lok Sabha on the Adani-Hindenburg dispute.
"I asked a rhetorical question... I am the first person in India to be given the highest punishment for a defamation case, in history, since 1947. Nobody has been given a maximum sentence that too on the first offence. That should explain what's going on to you and my disqualification happens quite interestingly after my speech about Adani in Parliament, so you can do the math," Gandhi added.
The 52-year-old leader of the Congress is scheduled to hold a public meeting in New York on June 4 to wrap up his week-long US visit, through an interaction. at the Javits Centre in New York.
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