During Europe Tour, Rahul Gandhi To Meet EU Parliament Members Weeks After Biased Resolution Urging India To Protect Christians In Manipur

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday (6 September) embarked on a nearly week-long tour of Europe.

During his trip, he will reportedly engage in meetings with Members of the European Union (EU) Parliament, students, and the Indian diaspora.

Rahul's journey to Europe will involve a series of talks, interactions, and meetings in France, Belgium, Holland, and Norway, Indian Express reported citing sources.

The first destination on Rahul's itinerary is Brussels, the capital of Belgium.

According to his tentative schedule, he plans to hold separate meetings with members of the European Parliament and the Belgian Parliament.

This will be followed by media interaction and a dinner with the Indian diaspora.

Additionally, he is set to meet with Udo Bullmann, Chair of the European Parliament's subcommittee on human rights.

After Brussels, Rahul will proceed to Paris, where he will engage in separate interactions with lawmakers and students from Sciences Po University.

During his travels, he will visit the Netherlands and engage with students from three universities at Leiden University in The Hague.

Next, Rahul will visit Norway where he has scheduled meetings with the Foreign Minister, as well as the Leader of the Opposition and former Prime Minister, Erna Solberg.

Additionally, he will meet with Members of Parliament and business leaders there.

Throughout his visit, the Congress leader will also interact with the Indian diaspora in all the countries he visits.

Gandhi is expected to return on 11 September, the day after the conclusion of the G20 summit in India.

The G20 Leaders Summit is scheduled to take place in Delhi from 9 to 10 September.

Gandhi's visit to Europe follows the passage of a resolution by the EU Parliament in July regarding the Manipur violence that occurred during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to France.

The European Parliament adopted a resolution expressing concerns about “politically motivated, divisive policies promoting Hindu majoritarianism” in Manipur.

It took note of the “accounts of partisan involvement by security forces in the killings” resulting in increased distrust in the authorities in the northeastern state.

The resolution stated that intolerance towards religious and belief minorities, including Christians, contributed to the violence.

It also took note of the appeal by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to India to safeguard the rights of human rights defenders, raising concerns over shrinking space for civil society.

It strongly urged the authorities in India to take all necessary measures and make the utmost effort to promptly halt the ongoing ethnic and religious violence, to protect all religious minorities, such as Manipur’s Christian community, and to pre-empt any further escalation.

India strongly rejected the resolution, calling it "unacceptable" interference by the European Parliament in India's internal affairs.

Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, stated that the move by the European Parliament had “reflected a colonial mindset”.

"The European Parliament would be well advised to utilize its time more productively on its internal issues," he added.