Rahul Gandhi says he is reading Upanishads, Gita to fight against RSS, BJP

Congress Vice President accused PM Modi's party of thrusting one idea upon the nation

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said he was reading Upanishads and the Bhagwad Gita to take on the RSS and BJP.

"Nowadays, I study the Upanishads and the Gita since I am fighting the RSS and BJP," he said addressing party functionaries in Chennai.

"I ask them (RSS men), my friend, you are doing this, you are oppressing people, but it is written in the Upanishad that all people are the same and how come you are contradicting what your own religion says," party sources quoted him as having told them.

He alleged that BJP does not fundamentally "understand India," and "understand only Nagpur," headquarters of the RSS.

Taking potshots at Narendra Modi, he said BJP men were under the impression that the "entire universal knowledge" came out of the Prime Minister.

Gandhi, who has accused BJP-RSS of attempting to thrust one idea on the nation, said every individual, be it in Tamil Nadu or Uttar Pradesh, had a right to express dissent if they were aggrieved, and imposition of one idea was not acceptable.

While expressing his appreciation for people of Tamil Nadu, their language, culture and culinary, "which is a strength for India like other states," Gandhi said he had a special connect with the state.

He also said that "he has decided to start watching Tamil movies," and "read about the culture of Tamil Nadu people."

"Sent an SMS to my sister, I told my sister that I love coming to Tamil Nadu. I don't know ... Some how I feel very connected to Tamil people," Gandhi said.

"I wrote (to Priyanka), I love Tamil, Tamils. She wrote back I love them too," he added.

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President Su Thirunavukkarasar, Congress Legislature Party leader K R Ramasamy were among the functionaries who attended the meeting.