PM Modi 'trapped' in invisible political 'grips': Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi explained his Jiu-Jitsu analogy, stating PM Modi is 'trapped' in invisible political 'grips' and a 'choke'. He alleged the PM is torn between pressures from China and the US, leading to compromises on trade, data, and security.

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi explained his Jiu-Jitsu analogy used in Parliament, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "trapped" in political "grips" and a "choke" that are not visible to the public.

Rahul Gandhi Explains Jiu-Jitsu Analogy

Posting a video on X, Gandhi explained the analogy, stating, "A lot of people have asked me why I used a Jiu-jitsu analogy in my Parliament speech. And the reason I used the idea of grips and a choke is because these exist in the sport of Jiu-jitsu, and it's how you control an opponent." He added that similar methods exist in politics but are not visible to the public.

Why did I use a Jiu-Jitsu analogy in my Parliament speech on the trade deal? Why were our farmers sacrificed to please the Americans? Why was India’s energy security compromised by allowing the US to dictate our oil supplies? Why agree to increase US imports by $100 billion a… pic.twitter.com/y0Ooy0U30y — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 20, 2026

"Political grips and political chokes are mostly hidden. The average person can't see them. And you have to look carefully to see where the choke is being applied," the Congress MP said.

Alleges PM is 'Trapped' by External Pressures

Gandhi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was "trapped" between multiple pressures. Referring to the Adani case in the United States and the Epstein matter, he claimed that several Indian names were linked to files that have not been released.

"On one side, there is China sitting on our border, and on the other side, there's the USA. And our Prime Minister is torn between these grips. He's trapped," Gandhi said.

Claims of Compromised Policies and Data Sovereignty

He further alleged that the Prime Minister's public image was sustained by financial backing and that control over that image lay outside India.

Gandhi claimed that policy decisions could impact farmers and the textile sector, and alleged that India could be pushed into higher imports from the United States. He also raised concerns over data governance.

"But most important is the data. The fact that our data is being handed over by Mr Narendra Modi to American companies to the United States for a pittance. And mark my words, we are going to become a data colony," he said.

Gandhi questioned why India would make trade-offs involving data, agriculture and industry with US, stating that the answer lies in the "grips and the choke" applied on the Prime Minister.

Youth Congress Protests AI Summit

Earlier Rahul Gandhi had attacked the Government on the organisation of the AI summit saying, ""Instead of leveraging India's talent and data, the AI summit is a disorganised PR spectacle - Indian data up for sale, Chinese products showcased."

Cadres of the Indian Youth Congress today staged a 'shirtless' protest stunt at Bharat Mandapam against Prime Minister Modi, criticising the AI Impact Summit and accusing the PM of being "compromised". During the protest, party workers removed their shirts as a mark of dissent.

In a statement, the Indian Youth Congress said its workers were protesting against a "compromised Prime Minister who has traded the identity of the country at the AI Summit." Police later detained the protesters.

"Indian Youth Congress workers raised their voice and protested against the compromised Prime Minister who has traded the identity of the country at the AI Summit," an official post from Indian Youth Congress said. (ANI)

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