Rahul hugs Congress leader, calls it PM's foreign policy. Then Meloni jibe follows

Rahul Gandhi hugged Sandeep Dikshit on stage while mocking Narendra Modi's public embraces with foreign leaders. The exchange turned into a Meloni joke, drawing laughter and sharpening the political taunt.Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sandeep Dikshit hug each other.Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's much-publicised hugs with foreign leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, by hugging Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on stage and joking about the two leaders.Speaking at the Rachnatmak Congress national convention, Rahul Gandhi said, "I don't know where he (PM Modi) got this idea from. Strange ideas get into people's heads. He thinks this is foreign policy," before giving Dikshit a big hug.Dikshit quipped, "You weren't hugging me thinking I was Meloni?" Rahul Gandhi then replied, "I haven't reached that stage yet," drawing laughter from the gathering.RAHUL GANDHI CALLS BJP, RSS 'BUNCH OF JOKERS'Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on the BJP and RSS, calling them a "bunch of jokers" and "clowns" who, he claimed, have no understanding of India's history, culture or present-day reality. He said the RSS-BJP's political philosophy was to impose an order on India that benefits them and certain other people, while the Congress wanted to allow the country to "express itself"."If you look at what was happening at Jantar Mantar, the students wanted to express themselves, but the government stated that 'we want order and you cannot express yourselves'," he said. He said the political battle was between those who wanted to impose an order on others and those who wanted people to express themselves.'RSS NOW AN INSTRUMENT OF LARGE CAPITAL'The Raebareli MP claimed that the RSS had lost its original character and had been "captured and utilised by large capital", naming industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani."The RSS as an original force is dead, they are gone. Now the RSS is an instrument of large capital. They are servants of Mr Adani, just like Mr Modi is a servant of Mr Adani," he alleged.He asserted that the RSS had originally represented sections of India's small businessmen but that its character had changed over the years.The Leader of Opposition also linked the change to demonetisation, alleging that the RSS had contributed to policies that hurt small businesses.'WE WILL KEEP PM, AMIT SHAH AWAKE'Rahul Gandhi vowed to continue putting pressure on the government and said PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah would not be allowed to "sleep" until they resigned."Till the day PM Modi and Amit Shah don't give their resignations, they will not be able to sleep. We will keep them awake," he said.He stressed that the Congress would continue its campaign without violence or hatred. "We will do it without hate, violence. We are fighting for our culture. Our country is not about hate but about love, brotherhood and ahimsa (non-violence)," he said.Rahul Gandhi claimed that the RSS had stopped being an original force and no longer represented the India it once sought to engage with."You cannot understand India 3,000 years ago, you have to understand India today. To understand it today you have to understand its expression," he said.He further said that even if the RSS sought to create its own "little order", it would eventually be challenged and broken by India's expression.- EndsPublished By: Prateek ChakrabortyPublished On: Aug 13, 2026 20:31 IST