 "Rahul Gandhi attacks BJP-RSS, says 'we are fighting Indian state itself'")
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), of capturing all institutions in the country, and asserted that the Congress was fighting the "Indian State itself."
Speaking at the inauguration of the party’s new headquarters, ‘Indira Bhawan,’ the Congress MP said, "Our ideology, like the RSS ideology, is thousands of years old. We have been fighting the RSS ideology for thousands of years. Don’t think we are having a fair fight. There is no fairness in this. If you believe we are fighting a political organisation called the BJP or RSS, you have not understood what is going on. The BJP and the RSS have captured every single institution of our country. We are now fighting the BJP, the RSS, and the Indian State itself."
Alleged voter data manipulation
Rahul Gandhi also blamed the Election Commission for alleged voter data manipulation in the recently held Maharashtra Assembly elections.
“I clearly stated that something went wrong in the Maharashtra elections. We are uncomfortable with the way the Election Commission operates. The sudden appearance of almost one crore new voters between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in Maharashtra is problematic. It is the Election Commission’s duty to provide a voters’ list with names and addresses of those who voted in the Vidhan Sabha election. However, the Election Commission has refused to provide this information,” Gandhi said.
He emphasised the need for transparency, saying, “It is the Election Commission’s duty to provide transparency, and it is their sacred responsibility to explain why this has happened. This is something that every congressman and every opposition member must keep in mind. There is a serious problem with our election system, and it is the Election Commission’s duty to be transparent.” Also Read: Congress inaugurates Indira Gandhi Bhawan
Allegations of suppressing minorities and backward castes
Rahul Gandhi further accused the BJP of trying to silence minorities and backward castes. “They want India to be run by one man and aim to crush the voices of Dalits, minorities, backward castes, and tribals. This is their agenda,” he said.
He highlighted the Congress’ role in opposing this agenda. “I would also like to say clearly that there is no other party in this country that can stop them. The only party that can stop them is the Congress party. The reason is that we are an ideological party and our ideology did not emerge yesterday,” he said.
Also Read
“The people who are in power today do not salute the tricolour, do not believe in the national flag, and do not believe in the Constitution. They have a completely different vision of India than we do,” he added.
BJP hits back at Rahul Gandhi
Responding to Rahul Gandhi's statement, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, "The LoP, who was sworn in by taking oath on the Constitution, is now saying, ‘We are now fighting the BJP, the RSS and the Indian State itself.’ So, @INCIndia and @RahulGandhi, what for are you carrying a copy of the constitution in your hand?"
Party president and Union Minister JP Nadda commented that the Congress's "ugly truth now stands exposed." He stated, "Hidden no more, Congress' ugly truth now stands exposed by their own leader. I 'compliment' Mr. Rahul Gandhi for saying clearly what the nation knows- that he is fighting the Indian state!"
Nadda further alleged, "It is not a secret that Mr. Gandhi and his ecosystem have close links with Urban Naxals and the Deep State who want to defame, demean and discredit India. His repeated actions have also strengthened this belief. Everything he has done or said has been in the direction of breaking India and dividing our society," he wrote in a post on X.
He added, "Congress has a history of encouraging all those forces who want a weak India. Their greed for power meant compromising the nation's integrity and betraying the trust of the people. But, the people of India are wise. They have decided that they will always reject Mr. Rahul Gandhi and his rotten ideology."
(With agency inputs)