Bharat Summit Hyderabad: BJP calls Congress event ‘anti-India’ and plans black flags for Rahul Gandhi

The Bharat Summit Hyderabad opens on Friday under a political cloud: Union minister G. Kishan Reddy called it a platform for Congress at public expense on Thursday, and the Telangana BJP announced black-flag protests against Rahul Gandhi’s visit, The Hans India reported.

What happened at the Bharat Summit Hyderabad

The summit runs on 13 and 14 November, and The Hans India said nearly 1,000 delegates from India and about 70 countries are expected. The programme has a plenary, international panels, Telangana panels, an expo and a valedictory session. Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, is due to address the valedictory session on 14 November.

Kishan Reddy, speaking in New Delhi, asked what exactly Rahul Gandhi’s vision was. He alleged that Telangana was being turned into a platform for anti-India forces, and alleged that the event followed an agenda promoted by George Soros. The Hans India report carried no reply from the Congress or the Telangana government to those allegations.

Key numbers

• 13 and 14 November: the dates of the summit, per ANI.
• About 1,000 delegates from India and roughly 70 countries expected, per The Hans India.
• 100: the number of electoral defeats Kishan Reddy claimed the Congress has suffered under Rahul Gandhi, his claim as reported.

BJP black flags for Rahul Gandhi in Telangana

Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao called the event an “Anti-Bharat Summit” and announced statewide black-flag protests against Gandhi’s proposed visit, The Hans India said. He also backed the Union Home Ministry’s decision to cancel visas and asked BJP workers to burn effigies. Our earlier report covered the Norwegian journalist who says her visa was cancelled before the summit.

What people said

Telangana BJP leader Gudur Narayana Reddy told ANI that the state government was organising a global investment summit, “However, it looks like public money is being used for the PR activities of Rahul Gandhi, the LoP of the Lok Sabha.” Congress leader Salman Khurshid said on Wednesday that the summit would reflect the party’s take on foreign policy, and that it could offer “something larger” than the World Economic Forum in Davos in the coming years, ANI reported.

Rahul Gandhi Hyderabad visit: what happens next

Gandhi is expected to speak on 14 November, the last day of the Bharat Summit Hyderabad, and the BJP protests are planned around his visit. The reports did not say whether police have approved any demonstration.