New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi's comment in London that India's democracy "has come undone" has provoked a backlash with the ruling BJP accusing him of "shaming the country" on foreign soil by "seeking foreign intervention".
"BJP would like to emphatically state with great agony that Rahul Gandhi, in his speeches, has sought to shame India's democracy, polity, parliament, political system and judicial system," said BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad, accusing the Congress leader of telling lies.
Rahul Gandhi had questioned at an event in London "why Europe and the US, the defenders of democracies, were oblivious of how a huge chunk of democracy in India had come undone".
The BJP said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and his predecessor Sonia Gandhi owed a clarification on the comments.
"Rahul Gandhi wants that Europe and US should interfere to save democracy? No matter whose government it is, we have been strongly against any interference in our internal affairs. No foreign country must intervene in India's internal affairs," Mr Prasad said.
"Mr Kharge, BJP wants to know, if you feel you are an elected president of the Congress, do you support the irresponsible and shameful comments of Rahul Gandhi that America and Europe must intervene in India to restore democracy? If you don't then disown them. Sonia ji, BJP would like to urge you to make your stand clear on utterly irresponsible comments."