New Delhi, Shahid K Abbas
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a blistering attack on the Congress, accusing it of conspiring to create disorder in the country, damaging India's international image and obstructing Parliament, while declaring that the Gandhi family had become a "burden" on the party and alleging that "dimagi Naxals" had taken control of its leadership.
Addressing the NDTV World Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Modi mounted a sharp political offensive against the principal Opposition party, directly targeting its leadership and sharpening his criticism of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. His remarks came amid an intensifying confrontation between the ruling BJP and the Congress over democratic accountability, institutional independence, parliamentary functioning and the government's handling of national affairs.
"There is a conspiracy to promote disorder in the country," Modi said, alleging that certain forces were deliberately attempting to disrupt India's progress and malign the country before the international community. He questioned how long the Congress would continue to put national interests at stake, accusing the party of allowing political considerations to take precedence over the country's larger concerns.
In a pointed reference to the Congress's leadership structure, the Prime Minister asserted that the Gandhi family had become a liability for the party and alleged that its entrenched leadership prevented others from rising through the organisation. He accused the Congress of prioritising political visibility over constructive participation in the country's development.
Escalating his rhetoric, Modi claimed that "dimagi Naxals" had taken control of the Congress, using the politically charged expression to question the party's ideological direction and leadership. He also accused the Opposition of deliberately impeding national progress by repeatedly disrupting Parliament, portraying the Congress as an obstacle to governance and the functioning of democratic institutions.
The attack reflected the BJP's effort to frame the political contest as a choice between development and disruption, while shifting the focus towards the Congress's leadership and organisational structure.
The Congress, for its part, has repeatedly accused the Modi government of concentrating power and weakening democratic institutions, arguing that the Opposition has a legitimate responsibility to hold the executive accountable. The latest exchange further intensifies the increasingly personalised political rivalry between Modi and Rahul Gandhi, which has become a defining feature of national politics.
Moving beyond his attack on the Congress, Modi called for stronger global institutions, a greater voice for the Global South and international cooperation capable of withstanding geopolitical and economic crises.
"Viksit Bharat is not just a promise, but a guarantee of a better world," the Prime Minister said, presenting India's development ambitions as extending beyond domestic prosperity to a wider contribution to global progress and stability.
Modi argued that India was moving beyond its traditional position as a global back-office service provider towards becoming a centre of innovation, intellectual capital and advanced technological capabilities. "From Back Office to Brain Office of the world," he said.
The Prime Minister said the world was searching for a new order amid geopolitical uncertainty, intensifying economic competition and growing demands for reform of international institutions. His emphasis on the Global South reflected India's continuing push for a greater role for developing countries in global decision-making, particularly in institutions whose existing structures have long faced criticism for failing to reflect contemporary economic and political realities.
The international vision outlined at the summit, however, was accompanied by a forceful domestic political message. Modi's latest broadside appeared aimed at putting Rahul Gandhi and the Gandhi family on the defensive. For the Congress, the challenge will be to counter the political impact of the Prime Minister's personal attacks while sustaining its criticism of the government on substantive policy and institutional questions.
The summit thus became a platform for Modi to launcha direct assault on his principal political opponent. His address underlined that the contest between the BJP and the Congress is being fought not only over competing policy priorities but also over leadership, credibility and rival claims to represent India's democratic institutions and national interests.
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