Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 5: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday came out strongly in defence of her brother Rahul Gandhi, asserting that it is not the role of Supreme Court judges to determine who qualifies as a “true Indian.”

Responding to the Supreme Court’s sharp remarks over Rahul Gandhi’s December 2022 comments on the Indian Army during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Priyanka said, “With due respect to the honourable judges of the Supreme Court, they do not decide who is a true Indian. It is the job of the opposition leader, it is his duty to ask questions and to challenge the government.”

She added that Rahul Gandhi, now Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has “the highest respect for the Army” and would “never say anything against it.”

On Monday, the Supreme Court stayed proceedings in a criminal defamation case filed against Rahul Gandhi in a Lucknow court but observed that if he were “a true Indian,” he would not have made such remarks about the Army.

The Congress party has since described the court's comments as a misinterpretation of Gandhi’s statements. “My brother would never insult the Indian Army. He was only asking questions of the government, as is expected of a responsible opposition leader,” Priyanka reiterated.

Meanwhile, the BJP has seized upon the issue to attack Gandhi, accusing him of trying to “strengthen China.” In response, the Congress party hit back, stating that every patriotic Indian has been seeking answers from the government since the Galwan Valley clash in 2020.

The Congress also accused the BJP-led Centre of following a “DDLJ strategy — Deny, Distract, Lie, and Justify” — instead of revealing the truth about Chinese incursions.