Bogota, Oct 2 (IANS) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp critique of the Narendra Modi government, warning that the biggest threat facing India today is a systematic attack on its democratic foundations. Addressing a packed auditorium during an interaction with students at EIA University in Colombia's Envigado, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha said that India’s strength lies in its diversity—its multitude of religions, languages, and traditions—and that democracy is the only system capable of giving space to all these voices. But that system, he claimed, is under siege.

Gandhi described India as a complex and decentralised nation, fundamentally different from China’s centralised and uniform structure. He argued that India’s design cannot accommodate authoritarianism and that attempts to suppress its people would ultimately fail. "India is a conversation between all its people," he said, adding that the democratic framework is essential to allow different traditions and ideas to flourish. Gandhi also spoke about India’s place in the global energy transition, drawing historical parallels with the rise of empires. The British, he said, mastered coal and steam, while the Americans dominated the shift to petrol and the internal combustion engine. Now, the world is moving toward electric motors and battery technology, and the real contest is between the US and China over who will lead this transition.

He noted that China is currently ahead, and India, as a neighbour to China and a partner of the US, finds itself at the heart of this global collision. Despite expressing optimism about India’s potential, Gandhi cautioned against internal faultlines. He highlighted the importance of nurturing regional languages and traditions, warning that any attempt to suppress them would be counterproductive. He also addressed the issue of unemployment, noting that India’s service-based economy struggles to generate enough jobs. Drawing a parallel with the US, he said that Donald Trump’s polarisation campaign resonated most with those who had lost manufacturing jobs. Gandhi also stressed the need for India to develop a production model that works within a democratic framework, capable of competing with China’s authoritarian success.