Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's guided tour of BMW Welt and the BMW Plant in Munich, and the remarks thereafter that manufacturing is declining in India, attracted criticism from the BJP, which accused him of insulting India.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, who is on a visit to Germany, said in a social media post after his visit to the BMW Plant, "Had the chance to experience BMW's world in Munich, Germany, with a guided tour of BMW Welt and the BMW Plant — an incredible look at world-class manufacturing up close."
A highlight was seeing TVS's 450cc motorcycle, developed in partnership with BMW, he said, adding that it was a proud moment to see Indian engineering on display.
"Manufacturing is the backbone of strong economies. Sadly, in India, manufacturing is declining. For us to accelerate growth, we need to produce more — build meaningful manufacturing ecosystems and create high-quality jobs at scale," the Congress leader said.
Reacting to the Congress leader's claims, the BJP alleged that the Congress leader is spreading fake news.
BJP MP Sambit Patra observed that as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, he has to behave in a really responsible manner, especially when he is on foreign soil.
"Parliament is in session here, several Bills are being discussed in the House, and Rahul Gandhi is in Germany to address the Indian diaspora. Today, we saw Rahul Gandhi visiting a BMW factory in Munich, and there, he appreciated their manufacturing and said that he is sad that manufacturing is poor in India."
Patra said Gandhi's frequent foreign visits and insulting India from foreign soil show the sentiments that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party have for India.
He alleged that whenever Gandhi visits abroad, the Congress leader insults the Parliament and India.
Party spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari claimed Rahul Gandhi lied about India's growth story and cited numbers to show how India's manufacturing is growing. "Rahul Gandhi may deny reality, but factories, exports, and numbers don't lie," he said.
