'Why is he engaging with most radical anti-India elements': BJP questions RaGa on meet with controversial US politician Ilhan Omar

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticised Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for meeting US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar during his three-day trip to the United States. The BJP questioned why the Congress leader had to meet Omar and if it was acceptable to engage in 'desh virodh' (anti-national activities) while opposing the BJP.

During his visit to the United States, Gandhi interacted with the Indian diaspora, students, and faculty at various universities. He also met US lawmakers at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington DC. The meeting, hosted by Congressman Bradley James Sherman, included US Congress members Jonathan Jackson, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Barbara Lee, Shri Thanedar, Jesus G “Chuy” Garcia, Ilhan Omar, Hank Johnson, and Jan Schakowsky.

Responding to Gandhi’s meeting with Omar, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took to social media platform X and said, “After spewing venom against Sikhs and running down India on foreign soil, now Rahul Gandhi meets and engages with anti-India Ilhan Omar.” Poonawalla reiterated Omar’s anti-India stance, highlighting her introduction of anti-India resolutions in the US Congress, opposition to the abrogation of Article 370, violation of India’s sovereignty by visiting Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), and her meetings with Pakistani leaders to discuss 'Islamophobia' in India.

Ilhan Abdullahi Omar, 41, is an American politician serving as the US representative for Minnesota’s 5th congressional district since 2019. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Omar’s visit to PoK had evoked a furious response from India two years ago, with India stating that her visit violated the country’s sovereignty and reflected her 'narrow-minded' politics. Despite the diplomatic uproar, Omar referred to India’s abrogation of Article 370 during her meeting with the president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sultan Mahmood Chaudhary.

Addressing the Indian diaspora in Virginia, Gandhi said that the fight in India is about whether a Sikh would be allowed to wear a turban and visit a Gurdwara. During an interaction with a member of the Indian community, Gandhi reiterated that the fight was about whether he would be allowed to wear a turban or kada in India.

Speaking to students at Georgetown University, Gandhi reiterated his demand for a caste census and said the Congress party wanted to know the socio-economic position of lower castes in India. He also mentioned that the Congress party would consider scrapping reservations when India becomes a 'fair place'.

Meanwhile, Gandhi’s comments about the condition of the Sikh community in India have stirred up a fresh controversy. At an event in Washington DC, where many pro-Khalistan Sikhs were reportedly in attendance, Gandhi stated, “Fight in India is whether a Sikh will be allowed to wear turban and kada, go to gurdwara.” Sikhs for Justice co-founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun supported Gandhi’s stance, citing it as bold and pioneering and grounded in the factual history of what Sikhs have faced under successive regimes in India since 1947.

Government sources criticised Gandhi’s remarks, stating that speaking against the country outside gives momentum to separatist elements like Pannun. Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri condemned Gandhi’s comments, asserting that his language matched the tone of Khalistani separatist Pannun, who is wanted in India on terror charges.

Responding to Gandhi’s remarks, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, “The Congress party is once again in alliance with terrorists. Rahul Gandhi’s statement about turbans has no support within the country, but terrorist organisations outside the country are supporting his statement. The Congress party is shamelessly accepting this support and has not yet denounced it.”