Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at Rachnatmak Congress National Convention in New Delhi on Thursday. ENSAddressing the Rachnatmak Congress National Convention at Constitution Club of India on Thursday, Rahul Gandhi called members of the BJP-RSS “a bunch of jokers” with no understanding of India. He hugged a party colleague on stage and mocked PM Narendra Modi’s foreign policy, accusing him of being “convinced” that diplomacy was “all about hugging”.The BJP struck back by accusing Rahul of disrupting parliamentary proceedings through “arrogance, indiscipline and obstinacy”, with two party leaders condemning the hug episode as “vulgar” and a “new low in public discourse”.Rahul said the Opposition was fighting people with no grasp of India’s philosophy or history. “A lot of people in India are behaving like cowards. But you’re fighting a bunch of jokers, clowns who have no idea about our philosophy, no idea about our history…” he said.Rahul hugged Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on stage to illustrate his point about PM Modi’s foreign policy. Dikshit then asked him: “Meloni samajh ke toh nahi pakda tha (did you hug me thinking I was Italian PM, Giorgia Meloni)?” Rahul replied: “I have not, I have not reached that yet.”On foreign policy, Rahul said it had become ingrained in Modi’s thinking that it was about hugging world leaders. “I don’t know where this idea came from, that foreign policy means hugging politicians,” he said.Rahul also claimed the RSS had been “captured and utilised by large capital, Mr Adani and Mr Ambani”, and that the organisation, originally an expression of the small Indian businessman, had long ceased to represent them.Rahul also cited Shah’s absence from Parliament as evidence of the government’s unease. “You saw Amit Shah, so-called Chanakya, so-called Sardar Patel. He disappeared, he ran away, he could not enter Parliament for 20 days. For the first time, they are feeling India’s expression,” he said.Story continues below this adReacting to the Meloni jibe, BJP national Mahila Morcha president Vanathi Srinivasan said that while criticism was the right of every political party, “insulting women and reducing public life to vulgar jokes is not”.“Mocking PM Modi and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, while Congress leaders laugh along, reflects a serious lack of political maturity. Debate policies. Challenge decisions. But respect people. This is a new low for public discourse,” she said.Minister of State for Education and Development of North-Eastern Region Sukanta Majumdar called Rahul’s remarks “deeply disgraceful”.