Last Updated:
Fadnavis slammed Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy, calling the Congress leader a “chichora.”
Devendra Fadnavis on Friday slammed Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on PM Modi’s foreign policy. (PTI file photo)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday slammed the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, over his remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy, calling the Congress leader a “chichora” and demanding an apology from him and Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit.
Fadnavis was reacting to an incident at the Rachnatmak Congress national convention on Thursday, where Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at PM Modi’s diplomatic style by referring to his tendency to hug foreign leaders.
VIDEO | Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis says, “Rahul Gandhi and Sandeep Dikshit must apologise to the nation. India has never seen such a ‘chichora’ leader before. They have not only insulted PM Modi but also the Prime Minister of Italy,” while commenting on Rahul Gandhi’s act… pic.twitter.com/SB5BAPdk4s— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 14, 2026
“Rahul Gandhi and Sandeep Dikshit must apologise to the nation. India has never seen such a ‘Chhichhora’ leader before. They have not only insulted PM Modi but also the Prime Minister of Italy,” Fadnavis said.
Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Hug’ Remark
While criticising PM Modi’s foreign policy, Rahul Gandhi said he did not understand where the Prime Minister got the idea that diplomacy meant hugging foreign leaders.
“I don’t know where he (PM Modi) got this idea from. Strange ideas get into people’s heads. He thinks this is foreign policy,” Rahul said.
He then hugged Sandeep Dikshit, prompting the Congress leader to jokingly ask, “You weren’t hugging me thinking I was Meloni?” Rahul responded, “I haven’t reached that stage yet,” drawing laughter from the gathering. Rahul subsequently returned to his criticism of the Prime Minister.
Polical Row After Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Hug’ Jibe
The hug sparked a political controversy, with the BJP accusing Gandhi of making an “immature” remark, while the Congress defended him, pointing out that he had not mentioned Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni by name.
Earlier, Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi also hit back at Rahul Gandhi, asking him to “grow up” and accusing him of insulting the people of India by targeting the Prime Minister. “Rahul Gandhi, when will you grow up? Running India requires mature leadership, not amateur dramatics. Calling a democratically elected government ‘jokers and clowns’ proves you are out of your depth,” Joshi said.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh also stepped up his attack on the Congress leader, describing him as “mentally frustrated” and urging Sonia Gandhi to “get him help”.
“Rahul Gandhi appears to be mentally frustrated. His conduct has crossed all limits of decency. If Sonia Gandhi does not intervene and ensure that he receives appropriate help, the situation could become serious,” the Minister said.
Key Questions Answered
Ask News18Rahul Gandhi criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy, stating, “I don’t know where he got this idea that foreign policy means hugging leaders”. He made this remark during the Rachnatmak Congress National Convention, where he also hugged fellow Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit to demonstrate his point.
Ask News18About the Author
Manisha Roy is a Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com’s general desk. She comes with an experience of over 5 years in media industry. She covers politics and other hard news. She can be contacted at Manish…Read More
August 14, 2026, 17:18 IST
Read More
