Those politicians or leaders who speak ill about India while being on foreign soil, bringing embarrassment for the country as well as countrymen, remain “disconnected and detached” from the country’s roots, said Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, taking a dig at the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday.
Delhi CM’s critical remarks for the Congress leader came while addressing the inaugural event of Delhi Shabdotsav, the three-day literary and cultural festival underway at the city’s Major Dhyan Chand Stadium. Addressing the gathering, the Delhi CM spoke at length about the importance of staying connected and taking pride in the country’s civilizational legacy and its ethos and mocked any attempts to show the nation in bad light, abroad - a direct reference to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's controversial and contentious remarks, made during his visits to universities and public forums interactions in the Western world.
“It’s only when you are disconnected from the country’s roots and its civilisation, you tend to use unwelcome and disrespectful words against the nation; otherwise, there is no reason to do this,” she said, without taking the Congress leader’s name.
The Chief Minister, sharing her delight over the organisation of Shabdotsav - one of the largest cultural and literary festivals in the country, said that such a grand event has never been held on a government platform. “Today, India is engaging with its past, present, and future simultaneously.
And it has undertaken a historic journey, from the Vedic age to the digital age, and this festival of words is a witness to it,” she remarked. Further, admiring the country’s rich legacy and civilisational strength, she said that India has been attacked many times, but it has always stood tall and withstood all challenges with bravery.
“The world tried many times, in many forms, to attack our knowledge, civilisation, and culture. But our roots were very strong, which is why we still stand solid today,” she added. She also underlined her government’s focus, in the past year, on celebrating every festival with full fervour and holding historical icons in high esteem.