NEW YORK — Indian opposition chief Rahul Gandhi pressed his criticism of the nation’s management in a speech Sunday, calling for Indians within the U.S. and again dwelling to face up for democracy and the Indian structure.

Gandhi, a pointy critic of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was expelled from Parliament, accused Modi and his Bharativa Janata Party (BJP) of dividing the nation and failing to deal with vital points reminiscent of unemployment and training.

“To be nasty to people, to be arrogant, to be violent, these are not Indian values,” Gandhi, 52, advised a crowd of about 700 on the Indian Overseas Congress USA occasion on the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan. He spoke simply after a minute of silence recognizing a large prepare derailment in jap India that killed 275 folks and injured tons of extra.

Gandhi has been on a three-city tour of the United States, together with talking engagements at Stanford University in California and the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Meanwhile, U.S. congressional leaders have invited Modi to handle a joint assembly of Congress later this month. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and different leaders introduced the deal with as an “opportunity to share your vision for India’s future and speak to the global challenges our countries both face.”

Grandson of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi is a member of the Indian National Congress celebration. He is taken into account to be Modi’s essential challenger within the upcoming 2024 elections.

“Modern India cannot exist without our constitution and our democracy,” he stated Sunday. He additionally urged a stronger partnership between India and the U.S. to offset China’s affect.

“One of the things we have to think about is the bridge between India and the United States,” he stated. “How do we compete with the challenge the Chinese have placed on the table,” he requested, particularly citing problems with mobility and the world’s power provide.

The Congress Party defeated the BJP in current state elections within the Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka states, wins that got here after a collection of state elections defeats after Modi turned India’s prime minister in 2014. Gandhi now holds no official place in his celebration. He gave up the put up of celebration president after his extreme defeats by Modi’s Hindu nationalist celebration in 2019 nationwide elections, although his supporters hope the more moderen outcomes will affect the nation’s 2024 nationwide elections, that are more likely to be held earlier than May.

Gandhi suffered a severe setback in March when a court docket convicted him in a felony defamation case for mocking Modi’s surname, a choice that led to him being expelled from parliament. He may lose his eligibility to run for a parliamentary seat for the subsequent eight years if an appeals court docket doesn’t overturn his conviction. The conviction got here in reference to a speech he gave in 2019.

Gandhi, who shouldn’t be associated to Mahatma Gandhi, additionally invoked the assassinated Indian chief’s title a number of occasions throughout his speech, praising his mannequin of non-violence.