If PM Modi Sits With God, He'll Start Explaining God How Universe Works: Rahul In US

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has taken a swipe at the ruling BJP government, saying it is threatening the people and misusing the country's agencies as he addressed a gathering of the Indian diaspora in US.

Speaking at an event in Santa Clara, California on Tuesday, Gandhi accused PM Modi of evading responsibility for crucial issues such as unemployment, inflation, and the deteriorating state of education. He alleged that instead of addressing these pressing concerns, the Prime Minister was preoccupied with ceremonial gestures like the recent inauguration of the new Parliament building.

''The BJP is threatening people and misusing government agencies. The Bharat Jodo Yatra started because all the instruments that we needed to connect with the people were controlled by the BJP-RSS. The government tried everything it could do to stop the (Bharat Jodo) Yatra, but its impact kept on increasing," said Congress leader in his address at University of California, Santa Cruz.

Gandhi said that the country is being governed by a group of individuals who are excessively convinced of their own knowledge. He humorously remarked that they could even sit down with God and explain how things work, with the prime minister being cited as an example of such a person.

"I believe that if you were to sit Modiji down next to God, he would begin explaining to God how the universe operates. At that point, God might become perplexed, wondering what exactly He has created. These may sound like amusing anecdotes, but it reflects the reality of the situation," Gandhi said.

''If one studies history, it can be seen that all spiritual leaders - including Guru Nanak Dev ji, Guru Basavanna ji, Narayana Guru ji - united the nation in a similar way,'' he said.

Gandhi said India is not what is being shown in the media which likes to promote a political narrative that is far from reality, asserting that there is a huge distortion.

''It was very clear to me in the Yatra that it's in the media's interest to project these things, it helps the BJP. So, don't think that everything you see in the media is the truth,'' he said.

''India is not what the media shows. The media likes to show a particular narrative. It likes to promote a political narrative that is actually not what is going on in India,'' he said.

The 52-year-old Congress leader arrived in US on Tuesday for a three-city US tour during which he will interact with the Indian diaspora and meet American lawmakers.

He is also likely to address Indian Americans and interact with Wall Street executives and university students during his week-long tour of the USA. He is slated to conclude his trip with a public gathering in New York on June 4. The interaction would take place at the Javits Center in New York.

Last week, Indian Overseas Congress chairperson Sam Pitroda said Gandhi's visit is aimed at promoting shared values and a vision of "real democracy".

''The purpose of his (Gandhi's) trip is to connect, interact and begin a new conversation with various individuals, institutions and media, including the Indian diaspora that is growing in numbers in the United States and abroad to promote the shared values and vision of the real democracy with a focus on freedom, inclusion, sustainability, justice, peace and opportunities world over," Pitroda said in a statement.

Gandhi received a new ordinary passport on Sunday, two days after a Delhi court gave its clearance.

The former Congress president, who had applied for an ordinary passport after surrendering the old diplomatic passport issued to him when he was a member of parliament, is set to travel to San Francisco in the United States on Monday evening on a three-city tour.

Gandhi was disqualified as an MP in March following his conviction and two-year sentence by a Gujarat court in a defamation case over his Modi surname remark.