The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh are like the bullies in school classrooms who think they know everything and have no respect for anybody else, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said at a rally in poll-bound Meghalaya, calling on people to fight them through non-violence, and love and respect for each other’s traditions, cultures, language and religions.
Donning a waistcoat traditionally worn by Khasi men, particularly during important ceremonies and festivals, Gandhi said he was wearing it as a sign of respect to the culture and tradition of the people of Meghalaya, which is also reflected in his actions. He claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the other hand, puts on the jacket and goes on to “attack your religion, culture, history and language.”
“The BJP is attacking all our states, whether it is Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Jammu and Kashmir. Every single state is being attacked by the RSS. And one idea is being imposed on all these states,” Gandhi said. “And that is something we will resist and not accept.”
The Congress leader cited the anti-conversation bill passed in the Karnataka assembly and incidents of mob lynching to allege that the BJP creates communal polarisation.
“You understand exactly what they are trying to do.”
Recounting his recent Lok Sabha speech linking billionaire Gautam Adani’s meteoric rise with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political journey, Rahul Gandhi said that the prime minister did not answer a single question regarding it.
“I asked PM about his relationship with Adani. I also showed a picture in which Mr Adani and Mr Modi are sitting in Mr Adani’s aircraft and Mr Modi is relaxing as if it is his own home…PM Modi did not answer a single question,” Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said.
Gandhi also targeted Trinamool Congress and said, “You also know the history of TMC, you know the violence that takes place in Bengal…So you are aware of their tradition. They came to Goa and spend a huge amount of money as the idea was to help BJP. And this is exactly the idea in Meghalaya. The TMC’s idea in Meghalaya is to ensure that BJP comes to power.”
