New York, Sep 22 (Zee News): Rahul Gandhi has asserted that original Congress movement was an NRI (non-resident Indian) movement and described prominent freedom fighters, including Mahatma Gandhi as an NRI.

While urging the diaspora in the United States to come forward with their ideas for another movement of transforming India, Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said, "Mahatma Gandhi was an NRI. Jawaharlal Nehru came back from England. Ambedkar, Patel, Maulana Azad, everyone of them went to the outside world, saw the outside world, returned to India and used some of the ideas that they had got and transformed India."

Gandhi, who is on a two-week visit to the US, termed the Non-Resident Indians "as the backbone of the country" and said he was keen to involve them in the work of the party to discuss its vision forward.

Praising the Indian community's contribution to the country's progress, the Gandhi scion said, "Wherever I went, you made me feel proud to be an Indian."

Appealling to the NRIs to support the grand old party, Rahul Gandhi said Congress Party represented a philosophy that is thousands and thousands of years old.

Sam Pitroda, who is chairman of Overseas Congress and spoke before Gandhi, urged the NRIs to stand up for the right cause, he said Congress "needs help today".

Gandhi, 47, made the comments during his xtwo-week-long tour US tour, which concluded on Thursday.

The BJP has been accusing Gandhi of tarnishing India's image abroad by his comments.