HYDERABAD, Nov 15: An Italian leader’s slogan at the Congress-organised ‘India Summit 2026’ in Hyderabad, attended by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, drew criticism from the BJP and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
Giacomo Filibeck, secretary-general of the European Socialist Party, referred to the ongoing debate over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists while addressing the gathering.
Praising Gandhi, Filibeck said he was fighting to make voter lists transparent and protect the democratic right of ‘one person, one vote’.
He also referred to a march taken out by opposition parties at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan two weeks earlier. He then raised the slogan, “Vote Thief, Leave Your Seat”. Gandhi and several senior Congress leaders were present on the stage at the time.
Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao criticised the Congress in a social media post. He asked whether allowing a foreign leader to mock Indian democracy and applauding his remarks was not anti-national.
BRS national media panellist Karthik Indra Reddy Patlolla also questioned a foreign leader commenting on India’s internal political matters.
