Bidar (Karnataka) [India], December 23 (ANI): BJP MP and former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai slammed Rahul Gandhi's remarks during his visit to Germany, alleging that the Congress leader has made it a habit to criticise and degrade Indian institutions and democracy.

The BJP MP also claimed that Rahul Gandhi's words carry no weight in India.

'It has become a habit for Rahul Gandhi to criticise and degrade the institutions in India and Indian democracy. They want to take shelter under foreign agencies like Soros and others for all the corruption they have done. His word carries no weight in India, and this is why he goes abroad and speaks,' Bommai told ANI.

Earlier, Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi levelled 'vote theft' allegations against the Government of India, citing duplicate voters on the voter list. Addressing a lecture in Berlin, Germany, Gandhi claimed that the Congress won the Haryana Assembly elections in 2024 and that the Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2024 were not fair.'

Lok Sabha LoP shared that their party did not receive a 'response' from the Election Commission when they flagged the issue.

Speaking at the Hertie School on 'Politics Is The Art Of Listening', Rahul Gandhi said, 'We have won elections in Telangana, Himachal Pradesh. We have been raising issues as far as the fairness of elections in India is concerned. I have done press conferences in India where we have clearly shown without a shadow of a doubt that we won the Haryana election and that we don't feel the Maharashtra elections were fair. There is a full-scale assault taking place on the institutional framework of our country. We asked direct questions to the Election Commission.'

'A Brazilian woman was there on the voting list 22 times in Haryana... We did not get a response. We fundamentally believe that there is a problem with the electoral machinery in India,' he added.

Rahul Gandhi also alleged that the Centre has 'weaponised' investigating agencies, suggesting a quid pro quo in which businessmen in India financially support the BJP rather than Opposition parties.

He said, 'There is a wholesale capture of our institutional framework. Our intelligence agencies, ED and CBI, have been weaponised. ED and CBI have zero cases against the BJP, and most of the political cases are against the people who oppose them. If you are a businessman and try to support the Congress, you are threatened. BJP uses the institutional framework of India as a tool to build political power. Look at the money the BJP has and the Opposition has.'

Following Rahul Gandhi's remarks, several BJP leaders criticised the Congress leader. BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari accused the party of harbouring an 'anti-India' mindset and alleged that Rahul Gandhi travels abroad to forge alliances with forces hostile to India's democratic institutions and progress.

Sharing a clip of the Congress leader's remarks on social media platform X, Bhandari wrote, 'Can a man who loves Bharat want India to fail? Rahul Gandhi in Germany says he thinks: People will fight each other, India will fail, and Unrest will happen. From Fighting Indian state, to threatening Anarchy...'

'Rahul Gandhi's Congress with his ideological patron George Soros wants Chaos, Unrest in Indian Democracy... Rahul goes abroad for uniting such Anti India forces...' Bhandari said.

Union Minister of State and BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje questioned the 'aim' of the Lok Sabha leader for 'speaking against the nation' and said that he 'still behaves like a child.

'Rahul Gandhi is not the Leader of Opposition but an anti-India leader who goes abroad and speaks against the nation. What does he aim to gain by doing this? He still behaves like a child, not a leader,' Shobha Karandlaje said.

Rahul Gandhi is on a five-day visit to Germany. (ANI)