Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took on foreign minister S Jaishankar by asking “what kind of patriotism and nationalism” he had that made the minister say that India can’t pick a fight with China because the Chinese economy is bigger than ours. Gandhi also took on the PM once again by alleging that Modi was refusing to answer his questions on the Hindenburg-Adani issue and that the ministers were “trying to save” the conglomerate because “Adaniji and Modiji are one”. He likened the conglomerate to the East India Company.

Addressing the Raipur session, Gandhi feasted on minister Jaishankar’s comments on the border row, saying: “Look at the thinking of this government. A few days ago, in an interview, a minister said, China’s economy is bigger than India’s economy and so how can we fight them? When the British ruled us, was its (British) economy smaller than us? This (minister’s comment) means never fight those who are stronger and fight only the weak. This is called cowardice, the Savarkar ideology of bowing before the powerful… Is it called nationalism…patriotism? What kind of patriotism and nationalism is it?”

In an interview to a news agency last week, Jaishankar had said: “Look they (China) are the bigger economy. What am I going to do? As a smaller economy, I am going to pick up a fight with the bigger economy? It’s not a question of being reactionary, it’s a question of common sense.”

Rahul used Jaishankar’s comments to take a jibe: “Mahatma Gandhijii told us about ‘satyagrah’, which means never move away from the path of truth. For RSS-BJP people, there is a new word, ‘sathaagrahi’, who will do anything, will meet anyone and bow before anyone for the sake of power.”

On Hindenburg-Adani issue, he said: “I had simply asked Modiji what is his relation with Adaniji and showed this photo of Modiji relaxing with Adaniji in the aircraft…What is it in Adaniji that makes all BJP-RSS people and ministers try to protect him? Who owns these shell companies through which thousands of crores of rupees are being brought to India? Why is there no probe, no JPC? Modiji could have said ‘no relation with Adaniji’… Brothers and sisters, Adaniji and Modiji are one.”

“This company is harming the nation as this nation’s infrastructure is being snatched away. Our fight for freedom started against the East India Company. That was also a company, which also had taken away all the wealth of India… History is repeating.”