Thu Sep 12 10:50:07 UTC 2024: ## Rahul Gandhi’s US Meeting Sparks Controversy: BJP Accuses Him of Aligning with “Anti-India” Forces
**Washington D.C.** – Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s meeting with US lawmaker Ilhan Omar during his ongoing visit to the United States has ignited a firestorm of controversy. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sharply criticized Gandhi, accusing him of aligning with “anti-India” forces.
The BJP alleges that Omar, a Democrat representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, has a history of making statements critical of India’s policies. These include resolutions in the US Congress criticizing India’s revocation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and her vocal opposition to what she describes as Islamophobia in India. Furthermore, the BJP highlights Omar’s visit to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), which they claim was sponsored by Pakistan, as a violation of India’s sovereignty.
“Rahul Gandhi is in Opposition, and in his own signature ways, is being indulged in a tour which is against India. But this time, it is serious. He has become the first LoP from India who met with a declared anti-India MP,” said BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi. He went on to accuse Gandhi of adding “another feather in his cap with respect to being anti-India.”
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also condemned the meeting, stating that Omar has been instrumental in promoting narratives that incite hatred against Hindus.
Gandhi, who met with US lawmakers at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C., has not yet publicly commented on the BJP’s accusations.
This meeting marks the latest point of tension between the Congress and the BJP, highlighting the deep political divide in India.
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