- 17 minutes ago
On India First, Gaurav Sawant moderates a political debate following the Bharatiya Janata Party's fierce attack on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his foreign visits, political associations, and alleged regime change rhetoric. The BJP questioned Rahul Gandhi's leadership record and cited meetings abroad with figures such as US lawmaker Ilhan Omar, Sunita Viswanath, and Salil Shetty, alleging links to organizations connected to George Soros. On the show, BJP National Spokesperson RP Singh argued that an opposition leader's foreign trips must be transparent and accused Gandhi of meeting individuals who take anti-India stances. Congress National Spokesperson Ruchira Chaturvedi dismissed the allegations as fabricated distractions, challenging the government to present evidence or initiate legal action instead of leveling baseless charges. Chaturvedi countered by demanding answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on electoral roll discrepancies, including the deletion of crores of voter names and unauthorized form changes, stating that the opposition has approached the courts to safeguard constitutional democracy.
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00:02Hello and welcome, you're watching India First, I'm Gaurav Savant.
00:06The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has launched a scathing attack on the leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi
00:12over his overseas visits, meetings, his political associations and his repeated attacks on what the BJP calls
00:20are symbols of the Indian constitution and institutions.
00:25Pointing to Congress's electoral record under Rahul Gandhi from 44 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 to 99 in 2024,
00:33the BJP questioned Rahul Gandhi's leadership and political strategy and said that the Congress had tried and failed
00:39multiple times to launch Rahul Gandhi.
00:42BJP MP Sudhanshin Trivedi called Rahul Gandhi an executor, not a planner and said he meets suspicious individuals
00:51and that was a grave allegation to level against the leader of opposition in India,
00:56saying that he meets suspicious individuals when he goes abroad before returning to attack institutions in India.
01:03The BJP then cited former US President Barack Obama's 2020 memoir to slam Rahul Gandhi in his book,
01:13A Promised Land.
01:13The former US President, detailing his interaction with Rahul Gandhi said, and I quote,
01:19He offered up his thoughts on the future of progressive politics,
01:25occasionally pausing to probe me on the details of my 2008 campaign.
01:30But there was a nervous, unformed quality about him,
01:34as if he were a student who'd done the coursework and was eager to impress the teacher,
01:39but deep down lacked either the aptitude or the passion to master the subject.
01:47BJP MP Nishikand Dubey questioned Rahul Gandhi's meetings overseas,
01:51citing his past meetings with US lawmakers, including Ilhan Omar,
01:56and asked,
01:57Who all does Rahul Gandhi meet abroad and why?
02:01Nishikand Dubey has separately hit out at the use of the national flag at protest sites.
02:06The BJP's wider attack centers on allegations linked to Rahul Gandhi's meeting with political networks
02:14and organizations associated with George Soros.
02:19The connections site included Rahul Gandhi's position on the Global Progressive Alliance's Asia meeting,
02:25and apparently funds received from Open Society Foundation,
02:30a think tank backed by known India beta George Soros.
02:35Also under the lens are Rahul Gandhi's associations with others,
02:39like Sunita Vishwanath, for example, co-founder Hindus for Human Rights.
02:44The organization apparently received a $60,000 grant from the Open Society Policy Center in 2020.
02:51Vishwanath later attended Rahul Gandhi's 2023 US event.
02:54The BJP says,
02:56Join the dots.
02:57What does all of this indicate?
02:59Open Society Foundation Vice President Salil Shetty
03:02was seen walking along with Rahul Gandhi on the Bharat Jodo Yatra on October 11, 2022.
03:09Now, the Congress has rejected all these charges of the Bharat Ke Janata Party,
03:14accusing the BJP of using Rahul Gandhi's stature to divert attention from critical public issues,
03:22accusing the BJP of being obsessed with the leader of opposition,
03:26while dodging issues that genuinely matter to the public.
03:30The Congress Party says the focus should be on people's issues and concerns
03:35and the protests that are driving the political debate
03:38and not on Rahul Gandhi's personal visits overseas.
03:43Its counter is Shah.
03:45Is the BJP questioning his foreign visits because of genuine concerns
03:49or because Rahul Gandhi continues to successfully challenge the government?
03:54The Congress Party argues that Rahul Gandhi meets students,
03:59intellectuals, journalists when he's overseas
04:02and questions why his travels are being turned into a political controversy in India.
04:08The Congress also points to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's overseas visits,
04:12including travels overseas during parliamentary sessions
04:15and asks whether the same scrutiny applies to the Prime Minister.
04:19Rahul Gandhi takes on the electoral system,
04:23his leadership and overseas links face scrutiny.
04:26Now amidst this political fire and crossfire,
04:30we must get you facts and not just fiction and allegations.
04:34We will debate, but first hear the voices in this war of words.
05:05The Congress is the President.
05:09foreign
05:39Instead of talking about all the important issues raised by the public, raised by the middle class, raised by the
05:51students, raised by our different states, raised in Manipur, raised in all the drought affected regions.
06:02What is he talking about? Congress, Congress, Congress. Rahul Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi. That has shown that the phobia
06:13of Rahul Gandhi is not letting Narendra Modi ji sleep at night.
06:36You are not the planner. You are just an executor.
07:07If he travels as a leader of opposition,
07:10in an official capacity to fulfill the role of an LOP, then of course he will share it in the
07:17public.
07:17But if he takes a private holiday, if he takes some days off to be with himself, to just think
07:23about something, do some reading, meet some friends, etc., and be with his family,
07:28who are they to ask questions about where he is going, what he is doing?
07:31Why should they pry into private affairs?
07:34They have become too accustomed to trying to get into the private lives of our citizen just to know exactly
07:40what people are doing.
07:42The kind of surveillance they do with private lives of our citizens, the kind of laws that they are making
07:46which allows people to actually look into the homes and living areas of people,
07:52completely unacceptable. No liberal, no free society allows for something of this nature.
07:59The gloves are off. Joining me on this India First Debate, R.P. Singh, National Spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata
08:05Party,
08:05and Ruchira Chaturvedi, National Spokesperson of the Congress. Welcome.
08:09R.P. Singh, Rahul Gandhi is leader of opposition. He is a five-term member of parliament.
08:17Are these allegations just political mudslinging? Where is the illegality in what he is doing?
08:23You just heard Salman Khurshid saying if he is going abroad on his personal time, why should the government know?
08:30Or why does the BJP want to know?
08:34Well, Gaurav, he is a leader of the opposition.
08:38And when the leader of the opposition or any political entity travels abroad,
08:43especially who is in the system of the government,
08:46whether it's the leader of the opposition or the chief minister or the minister,
08:49or even the home minister or the prime minister, anyone who has to travel abroad,
08:52has to tell that where is he going.
08:54Because his security, his concerns the government, one.
08:57Secondly, he has to declare that he is going on a private visit.
09:01He is going to meet his family members or his so-called family members who are abroad.
09:05We don't know who are the family members in Vietnam.
09:08But if he is going there, let him declare that I am going for a private visit
09:11and I am off the Indian political scene.
09:15I am taking off and I need to relax for some time.
09:18I have worked hard.
09:18No, but is there a law that he is mandated to do so?
09:22If there is no such law, why is the government prying into his private affairs, sir?
09:29Gaurav, there is nothing like private affairs.
09:31When he goes and meets Alan Omar, is it a private affair?
09:34When he meets people abroad who are anti-India, who takes anti-India stance,
09:38is it a private affair?
09:39When he meets people who say that India should be broken into two parts
09:43and Kashmir is not part of India, is it a private affair?
09:45When he meets Colin Kornel-Wall in Germany, who speaks about India being the Union of States.
09:57So, he doesn't take India as a nation.
10:01Or when he meets other leaders like Jan Sokoswuri and when they support Omar Khalid here.
10:11Let me get Ruchira Chaturvedi to respond.
10:14Ma'am, the BJP is raising questions about Rahul Gandhi's foreign visits
10:17and the people he meets.
10:19They are drawing a parallel between his visits and the protests.
10:23As leader of opposition and as a senior political leader and a public figure,
10:27should Rahul Gandhi respond on these allegations point one
10:31and his meetings with leaders like Ilhan Omar, who are known India beters, ma'am?
10:37You know, I find it deeply unfortunate that at a time when there are large-scale irregularities
10:42coming up in our election system, instead of addressing those concerns,
10:46the ruling party is asking questions of the leader of opposition, Rahul Gandhi.
10:50And let me tell you, this is a part of a toolkit.
10:53Anytime questions are being asked, which are uncomfortable to the ruling party,
10:57to Prime Minister Modi, they somehow start attacking Rahul Gandhi.
11:01We also saw that during student protests.
11:03We saw that during farmers' protests.
11:05And now when leader of opposition is asking questions,
11:08which the Prime Minister and BJP have no response to,
11:11they are attacking him and they're asking him questions.
11:15In fact, questions should be asked to the Prime Minister,
11:18Narendra Modi.
11:19He should be addressing the concerns.
11:21People are out on the streets.
11:22They're asking that 13.5 crore voters have been removed from the list.
11:26What is the response?
11:27Form 6.
11:29There have been illegal and unauthorized changes which have been made.
11:32What are the answers?
11:33I think the questions should be asked to the Prime Minister.
11:35Why are questions being asked to Rahul Gandhi, he's not the Prime Minister?
11:39He is leader of opposition.
11:40He is accountable.
11:42But R.P. Singh, all points raised by BJP,
11:45including these alleged meetings with individuals and entities,
11:49you may consider hostile to either your party or the government.
11:54Not to the party, to the nation.
11:54Sir, if there is any illegality in it.
11:57Not to the party, to the nation.
11:59When they raise questions about Kashmir,
12:01is Kashmir not part of India?
12:03When Premier Jaipal talks about Kashmir,
12:06when Chinita Vishwanathan talks about Kashmir,
12:08he goes and meets all these people.
12:10When it's not party or our government,
12:13it's about the entity, very basic entity of the country.
12:16Integrity of the country.
12:17They question the integrity of the country.
12:18They talk about Kashmir every time Rahul Gandhi goes and meets them.
12:23And who's the young Umar?
12:24She categorically stated that Kashmir is not part of India.
12:27We should represent India.
12:29Free and fair elections are fundamental to our democracy.
12:33When questions are being raised,
12:35whether there is sanctity of free and fair elections or not,
12:38whether citizens are able to trust the election process or not,
12:41is it not the duty of the Prime Minister
12:43to come out and do a press conference and respond to everything?
12:46And this is not just the Congress and the opposition
12:48which is raising questions.
12:49We had a leading media house,
12:51Indian Express did a story.
12:52The two election commissioners are asking questions.
12:55Why is the BJP and Prime Minister
12:57not addressing those concerns?
12:59Why are they not answering questions?
13:01Okay.
13:02R.P. Singh, you want to quickly respond
13:04because my question to you, R.P. Singh, is
13:06if Rahul Gandhi is doing something that you deem illegal,
13:10if there is a violation of the law,
13:12then register a case,
13:14produce evidence
13:15and then prosecute in courts of law
13:18on the basis of evidence,
13:19aren't these just political innuendos
13:22and allegations that are being made
13:23hoping something will stick, sir?
13:26Not at all.
13:27When he spoke,
13:28when he went abroad
13:29in one of the universities in America
13:31and told a Sikh gentleman,
13:33a Sikh young boy,
13:34that, oh,
13:35you're not allowed to wear turban in India,
13:37you're not allowed to wear kada in India,
13:39there's a case already filed against him
13:40in Allahabad.
13:41Now, people of India are quite aware of the subject.
13:44So, he tries to instigate,
13:46when he goes,
13:46he tries to instigate people also.
13:48He tries to instigate,
13:48he tries to build up a narrative there.
13:50Although there are the people,
13:51there's a party who is known as the Butcher of Sikhs,
13:54the first number on 31st of October is coming,
13:56the Butcher of 2006 are in India
13:57and he tries to go abroad
14:00and tell a Sikh young gentleman
14:02that you're not allowed to wear turban,
14:04you're not allowed to wear kala,
14:05you're not allowed to go to Kurdwara's.
14:07So, he is trying to use that platform
14:08to instigate the violence here also.
14:11But that's point aside.
14:12That's a very grave charge
14:13that you're leveling.
14:14I'm telling you,
14:15there's already a case against him
14:17in Allahabad court.
14:18Okay.
14:19Ruchira Chaturvedi,
14:20you want to respond to this
14:21because the BJP sites,
14:23I think about 54 odd foreign trips,
14:26BJP claims that cost
14:28some 60 crore rupees
14:29against a declared income
14:31of 11 crore rupees.
14:33So, if these charges are wrong,
14:35if they are baseless,
14:36should the Congress not explore
14:38a defamation route?
14:39The BJP has no credibility
14:40with any data,
14:41with any numbers.
14:42All they do is lie.
14:43So, I am not going to answer anything
14:45that the BJP claims is the number.
14:47The question here is very simple.
14:48I absolutely agree
14:50with what you're saying
14:50that this Soros bogey,
14:52the country is very tired of it.
14:53If you really think
14:54that he is doing anything
14:55which is illegal,
14:56or anything unconstitutional,
14:57you are in government.
14:58You must take, you know,
15:00take action.
15:00You must put him behind bars.
15:01Please do that.
15:02But you're not doing that
15:03because your intention
15:04is only to distract
15:05from the real issues.
15:07You do not,
15:08you have a problem
15:09that he's asking questions
15:10which are uncomfortable to you.
15:11He's asking questions
15:12about the election system.
15:13And let me also tell you,
15:15he's not making anything up.
15:17He has presented hard evidence.
15:19A lot of the data
15:20that has,
15:20one of the stories
15:21has also been verified
15:22on your channel, India, today.
15:23So I am saying
15:24that it is hard data
15:25which has been presented
15:26and the least
15:27that the BJP can do
15:28is,
15:29the Prime Minister
15:30can do is
15:30answer those questions,
15:32respond to them
15:33instead of always
15:34doing the press conference
15:35to...
15:36You had your hand up.
15:37You want to respond
15:38to Ruchiraj Chaturvedi
15:39saying,
15:40he's asking you
15:41hard questions.
15:43Response, sir.
15:44What a basic question is
15:46what is the political
15:58or what is the
15:58bigger game plan
16:00behind this?
16:00And when Sam Praduda
16:01says,
16:02oh,
16:02George Soros
16:04spent 10 crore
16:05billion dollars here,
16:06what's the worst
16:07wrong in it?
16:08He,
16:08he,
16:09what's the certified
16:10that this is a bigger
16:11game plan.
16:11I know,
16:12I'm giving to my
16:13legal,
16:13unconstitutional
16:14take action.
16:15What stops you?
16:16It's your government.
16:17What stops you
16:18from acting?
16:19It's your government.
16:20There is already
16:20a case against him
16:21in Al-Abbas.
16:22I just told you.
16:23I'm the secretive
16:24sex abroad.
16:25There's already
16:26action taken against
16:26somebody,
16:27some...
16:28If indeed there is
16:29something illegal
16:29unconstitutional
16:30to be done,
16:31it's your government.
16:33Why are you not
16:34taking action?
16:35Just answer my question.
16:36One by one.
16:36It's your government.
16:38One by one.
16:39And R.P. Singh,
16:40that's a fair point
16:41that Ruchira raises here.
16:43She says that when
16:44the BJP talks of
16:4654 foreign trips
16:47or when BJP talks
16:48about 60 crore rupees
16:50spent on these
16:51foreign visits
16:51against a declared
16:52income of some
16:5311 crore rupees
16:54or words to that
16:54effect,
16:55if there is
16:56evidence of
16:56wrongdoing,
16:57why is legal
16:59action not being
17:00taken?
17:00You are the
17:01government in
17:02power, sir.
17:03BJP cannot level
17:04allegations.
17:05BJP has been in
17:05power for 12 years
17:06and counting.
17:08Produce evidence
17:08in courts of law.
17:09Let there be
17:11evidence-based
17:12prosecution in
17:12courts, sir.
17:14Well,
17:15Gaurav,
17:16when he goes
17:17abroad and asks
17:18the European
17:18and the Western
17:20countries and
17:20America to
17:21intervene in
17:21India because
17:22it's set to
17:23democracy here,
17:24what does that
17:24mean?
17:25What does that
17:26mean?
17:26Tell me that.
17:27I mean,
17:27we can't file a
17:28case against
17:28this issue,
17:29but as I told
17:30you earlier,
17:30someone has
17:31gone to the
17:31high court in
17:32Al-Arabad
17:34seeking action
17:35against him on
17:35his provoking
17:36a sick child
17:37there, but
17:38coming to the
17:38issue back.
17:40As far,
17:40ma'am,
17:40your SIR
17:41goes, your
17:42leaders in
17:43Punjab has
17:43accepted SIR.
17:44This is not
17:45a issue in the
17:46country.
17:46This is bad
17:47habit.
17:48Please answer.
17:49Okay.
17:50Ma'am, let
17:51Avvising come
17:51to this point.
17:52I'm coming to
17:52you.
17:53Your leader in
17:54Punjab has
17:55accepted and
17:56said that SIR
17:57is well done in
17:58Punjab.
17:59Your leader,
17:59your home
18:00minister in
18:00Kerala has
18:01said categorically,
18:02yes, we won
18:03because of SIR
18:04was collected.
18:05Mr. Himesh,
18:06he said that
18:07we won
18:07election in
18:08Kerala because
18:08of SIR.
18:09Mr. Revanth
18:10Ledi appreciated
18:11election commission
18:13when election
18:14commission deleted
18:1422 lakh vote
18:15and said, yes,
18:17thank you,
18:17election commission.
18:19So, it is,
18:19when it suits
18:20you, it goes
18:21by whenever it
18:21suits you,
18:22you are happy
18:22with it.
18:23When it doesn't,
18:23when you lose
18:24elections, you
18:24say, no,
18:25no, there is
18:25a problem with
18:26EVM, there is
18:26a problem with
18:29SIR.
18:30So, one can
18:31see through it.
18:31Fair point.
18:32Ruchira Chaturvedi,
18:33you must respond
18:34to this because
18:35whenever your
18:37party wins,
18:38your leaders
18:39win, SIR
18:40is okay.
18:41When they lose,
18:42then our
18:42electoral system
18:43is bad.
18:44The BJP
18:45has also questioned
18:46Rahul Gandhi's
18:46overseas meetings
18:47and travels
18:48saying, can the
18:50Congress explain
18:52the individuals
18:53and entities he
18:54meets when he's
18:56overseas because
18:56he comes back
18:57with what the
18:58BJP claims is
18:59a regime change,
19:00Raga ma'am.
19:02See, I
19:03want to say
19:03this, I
19:04want to say
19:04two things.
19:05One is that
19:05it is not
19:06about win
19:07and losses.
19:08BJP wants
19:09to reduce
19:09every argument
19:10to victory
19:10and loss.
19:11This is about
19:11the sanctity
19:12of our
19:12electoral process.
19:13So, if
19:14large-scale
19:15irregularities are
19:16coming to light
19:17and this is
19:17not just the
19:18Congress saying
19:18this, I'm
19:18repeating this,
19:19this is not
19:19just the
19:20opposition saying
19:21it, there
19:21are the
19:22election commissioners
19:22who are saying
19:23it, there
19:24are the media
19:24which is
19:25saying it.
19:25Let Ruchira
19:27Chaturvedi
19:27complete a
19:28point, I'll
19:28come back to
19:29you.
19:30Let me
19:30please complete,
19:31yes.
19:32I am saying
19:32that if there
19:34are large-scale
19:35irregularities
19:35coming to
19:36life, if
19:36citizens are
19:37out on the
19:37road protesting,
19:39should you
19:39not be looking
19:40into it?
19:40Why are you
19:41defending it
19:41instead of,
19:42you know,
19:43addressing the
19:44concerns of
19:44the people?
19:45It is very
19:45simple and it
19:46is hard data,
19:47it is election
19:47commission data.
19:49Why are you
19:49not looking into it?
19:50So, Ruchira
19:50Chaturvedi,
19:51permit me to
19:51ask you a
19:52question.
19:53Congress says
19:54there are
19:55irregularities and
19:5613.5 crore
19:58names have been
19:59deleted from the
20:00system.
20:00The election
20:01commission has
20:02given its
20:03response, the
20:03BJP has its
20:04own take on
20:05this.
20:05When there is
20:06a point of
20:07dispute on
20:08anything, it's
20:09settled by
20:09courts of
20:10law, the
20:11matter is in
20:11courts of
20:12law, evidence
20:13if any has to
20:14be produced in
20:15courts of
20:15law.
20:16What are these
20:18serial protests
20:19all about when
20:20the matter is in
20:21court point one?
20:22Point two, the
20:24point, the
20:24allegation that
20:25is being made
20:26that Rahul
20:27Gandhi and
20:29Sonia Gandhi,
20:30they reportedly
20:31met individuals
20:33or entities
20:33related to, as
20:35the BJP puts it,
20:36some progressive
20:37international.
20:38Would you like to
20:39elaborate on what
20:40was this meeting
20:40all about?
20:41They say that
20:42there is a pattern
20:44being drawn that
20:45you weaken
20:46constitutional entities
20:48in India like
20:49it is happening
20:50overseas and
20:51there are these
20:52hidden hands
20:53that are involved
20:54is the
20:54allegation, ma'am.
20:56No, I would
20:57not like to
20:58respond to any
20:58of BJP's
20:59allegations because
21:00these are things
21:01which have been
21:01concocted, these
21:02are fabricated
21:03charges, there is
21:03no evidence to
21:04it.
21:04What I am saying
21:05is that we
21:07went to court,
21:08we have only
21:09gone to court
21:09now.
21:10Our first
21:11response, if you
21:11remember last
21:12year, leader of
21:13opposition did
21:13press conferences
21:14presenting hard
21:15data and asking
21:16questions to the
21:16election commission
21:17when we did not
21:18receive any
21:19response from the
21:20election commission
21:21who in fact
21:22mocked us, the
21:22chief election
21:23commissioner laughed
21:23at us, even
21:24now when the
21:25opposition MPs
21:26tried to go to
21:27the election
21:28commission to
21:28just seek a
21:29meeting, it
21:29was nothing else.
21:30We just said
21:31that we want to
21:31meet the chief
21:32election commissioner
21:32to put forward
21:33our concerns.
21:34When repeatedly
21:35the doors have
21:36been closed on
21:37our face, now we
21:38have gone to the
21:39court.
21:40So what do we
21:41do?
21:41When the
21:43chief election
21:43commissioner who
21:44is responsible
21:45for taking these
21:45decisions, when
21:46we are asking
21:46questions, they
21:47do not respond
21:48to us, so
21:49will we not
21:49protest?
21:50What will we
21:50do?
21:50What else
21:51will we do?
21:51Fair enough.
21:52Respond, R.P.
21:53Singh, because
21:53your party MP and
21:55your colleague
21:56Sambet Patra
21:56allege that
21:57Rahul Gandhi
21:58receives, in
21:59his words,
22:00coaching to
22:02overthrow the
22:02government.
22:03Sir, where is
22:04any verifiable
22:05evidence to
22:06support such a
22:08serious charge
22:08against the
22:09leader of
22:10opposition here?
22:11I'll come to
22:12that later.
22:13First, let me
22:14tell her about
22:15the evidence
22:16he's talking
22:16about.
22:17He went to
22:18the president
22:18of India
22:18and said,
22:19we are getting
22:22the evidence
22:22to you.
22:23President of
22:23India is still
22:24waiting, where
22:24is the evidence?
22:25Well, just
22:26all stories and
22:28also, as far
22:29election commission
22:30goes, when you
22:31seek a time and
22:33when you are
22:33given a time,
22:34you say, no,
22:35no, when you
22:36are given a time
22:36for 30 member
22:37of parliament,
22:37you say, no,
22:38no, no, no,
22:38no, we all
22:39150 will come
22:39together, next
22:40time, say, you
22:41say, all
22:41240 will come
22:42together.
22:43And as far
22:43all of the
22:44India goes,
22:44man, remember
22:46that Akash
22:46Bhani
22:47Bhani
22:48security guard
22:48who told
22:49Mr. Rahul
22:50Gandhi,
22:50we don't
22:51know that
22:51we don't
22:52We have to
22:53stop you and
22:54you, but
22:55you have to
22:55loot.
22:56This is
22:57one term
22:57which the
22:58security guard
22:59told Mr. Rahul
23:01Gandhi, so
23:01as far 140
23:02people, they
23:03know what
23:04is the truth,
23:04what is the
23:05story which
23:05is being built.
23:06But coming
23:07to your
23:07question, let's
23:09understand,
23:10there's an
23:10organization of
23:11FDLAP, Forum
23:13of Democratic
23:13Dealers in
23:14Asia-Pacific,
23:15Sonia Gandhi
23:15is the
23:16co-chairperson.
23:17Please go
23:18through the
23:18website of
23:19that organization
23:20that say
23:20Kashmir is
23:21not part of
23:22India, that
23:23says that
23:23Kashmir, we
23:24need to have
23:24a private side
23:24of India,
23:25a private side
23:26in Kashmir.
23:26They say that
23:27Kashmir is
23:28occupied by
23:29India.
23:30So what
23:30else do you
23:30need?
23:32I'm telling you
23:33the
23:33response.
23:35Sonia Gandhi
23:35is the
23:36co-chairperson
23:36there or not?
23:37Okay, because
23:38you know, as
23:39public figures,
23:40as political
23:41leaders, as
23:42leader of
23:42opposition, you
23:44know, Rahul
23:44Gandhi, the
23:46ruling party
23:47says he has
23:48to explain his
23:50conduct, he
23:50has to explain
23:51what he does
23:52overseas or the
23:53issue that
23:54R.P.
23:54Singh is
23:55raising about
23:55Sonia Gandhi.
23:56Does he
23:56need to
23:57explain or
23:57do they
23:58need to
23:58explain in
23:59your view,
24:00ma'am?
24:02So all the
24:02responsibility,
24:03all the
24:03questions will
24:04be asked and
24:04all the
24:05answers are
24:05expected of
24:06leader of
24:06opposition,
24:07Rahul Gandhi,
24:07but Prime
24:07Minister Modi,
24:08who is the
24:08Prime Minister
24:09of the
24:09country, will
24:10not answer
24:10any questions.
24:11He will
24:11not answer
24:12questions about
24:13the voters who
24:13have been
24:14deleted, the
24:14form 6,
24:15illegal,
24:16illegal and
24:17unauthorized
24:17changes, which
24:18again, Congress
24:19is not saying
24:19it, two election
24:20commissioners are
24:21saying it, those
24:22changes have been
24:22made, right?
24:23He is not
24:24going to answer
24:24any questions
24:25about that.
24:25Just today, there
24:26have been reports,
24:27what about the
24:28Pili beat, Pili beat
24:2916,500, 16,000
24:31voters, their
24:32details have been
24:33changed.
24:34Okay.
24:34In Goa, 97
24:36eligible could not
24:37be added because
24:39the state election
24:40officers did not
24:41have access.
24:42They wrote to the
24:43election commission.
24:44Who is going to
24:45answer about this?
24:46Prime Minister has
24:46Are we seeing serious
24:47issues that the
24:48opposition is raising
24:49about transparency
24:52of the electoral
24:54system and there
24:56have to be answers
24:57beyond press releases
24:58or will answers now
24:59come in the form of
25:00affidavits in court
25:01of law?
25:03Well, Gaurav, as
25:05for 13 crore
25:05voters goes, there
25:06are almost 6.5
25:07lakhs, 6.9 lakhs
25:08which are dead or
25:09which are absent or
25:11were shifted.
25:12There are 2.5, 2.8
25:14crore which are
25:14shifted.
25:15So they want to
25:15bank upon the
25:16voters who are
25:17dead, who are
25:18shifted or who are
25:19not traceable.
25:20So that's the
25:21complete number of
25:2213 crore voters.
25:23But issue is
25:25other.
25:25Issue is that
25:26they are raising
25:27issues.
25:28Okay, the opposition
25:29should raise
25:29issues.
25:30But they need to
25:30bring out with
25:31the hard
25:31evidence.
25:33Fair enough.
25:34The matter now
25:35is in courts of
25:36law.
25:38Ultimately, when
25:39there is a dispute
25:40between two sides,
25:42when there is a
25:43dispute between
25:44two sides, it's
25:45courts of law
25:46that decide in a
25:48strong democracy
25:49that India is.
25:51I want to thank
25:51both Ruchira
25:52Chaturvedi and
25:53R.P. Singh for
25:54joining me here on
25:55this part of
25:55India first.