BJP will destroy your language, religion, culture, and history: Rahul Gandhi
Describing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are like a “class bully”, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday appealed to the people to fight against them collectively through non-violence
Drumming up support for the Congress here in poll-bound Meghalaya, Gandhi also alleged that the Trinamool Congress’ “idea in Meghalaya” was to ensure that the “BJP is strengthened”.
“The BJP-RSS is like a class bully who thinks he knows everything, understands everything and has no respect for anybody else. We have to fight them collectively,” he said.
Calling on people to fight against the BJP and RSS through non-violence, and love and respect for each other’s traditions, cultures, language and religions, the Congress leader appeal to the religious sentiments of the Christian-majority tribal state, saying that his party would protect their religion, even as he mentioned about “huge rise in prices” under the present regime at the Centre.
Campaigning for his party in the previous assembly elections in Meghalaya in 2018, the former Congress president had similarly raked up the issue of alleged atrocities on Christians in the country.
Donning a traditional Black Jymphong (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.
The Congress leader however 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.”
“We are here to defend your culture, to defend your language, to defend your religion, and I am here as a partner, as a friend, and I come here with humility to learn and to understand from your history and tradition and your culture,” Gandhi said.
Alleging the BJP of indulging in “communal polarisation”, the Congress leader said, “The anti-conversion bill in Karnataka, you see in television the mob lynching taking place. You understand exactly what they are trying to do.”
“The RSS has captured all the state institutions and they are attacking the people and their faith each passing day. They do not respect the culture and faith of minorities and tribal,” Gandhi said, asserting the anti-conversion bill passed in Karnataka in January 2021 has put the entire Christian community and minorities in fear.
Gandhi also fired salvos at TMC and termed it as B team of the BJP.
“Is TMC a silent partner of the BJP? Was the entry of TMC in Goa only a charade done to divide the votes against the Congress? Is TMC attempting something similar in Meghalaya? Is it intentionally going to cheat the people of Meghalaya also?” Gandhi asked, asserting that TMC must clarify why is it silent about the BJP in Meghalaya.
Urging the electorates of Meghalaya to support his party and “vote for our young and experienced candidates” to ensure a “thumping majority” for the Congress in the coming assembly elections.
Elections are scheduled on February 27 and the counting would be held on March 2 to form the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly.
He mentioned that 47 of the 50 candidates that the Congress has fielded in the State were “fresh and young” and below the age of 45, which reflected an “Youthful party”.
The Congress leader promised Rs 3000 every month to single mothers and “one job per household in Meghalaya” if his party was voted by the majority and also said about taking action against “illegal coal scam”.
“We will make sure that the people of Meghalaya get uninterrupted power supply to their houses and to industries. We will fight the menace of drugs and try to provide a drug-free Meghalaya and take strict action against peddlers and set up de-addiction centres,” the Congress leader promised, if his party is voted to power.
Gandhi also cast aspersions on all media organizations in the country saying, “The media of this country is completely controlled by two or three large industrialists, who have a relationship with the prime minister. So we can’t even express ourselves in the media anymore. And that was one of the reasons we decided to do the ‘Bharat Yodo Yatra’ to listen to the people of the country and we expressed what this country is going through”.
Gandhi also mentioned about his asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha recently about the latter’s relationship with Adani, even as he alleged that there was corruption in Meghalaya “at a scale that has never been seen”.
Rahul Gandhi continues to attack PM over Adani issue
Claims his LS speech not covered by media
Claims his LS speech not covered by media
Shillong, Feb 22 (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday continued his attack on PM Narendra Modi over his relationship with the Adani group, claiming that whenever the PM goes abroad, the conglomerate gets a “gift”.
Addressing an election rally here, Gandhi asserted that the group has access to every single business because its head Gautam Adani is close to the prime minister.
Claiming that television channels and newspapers did not properly cover his speech in Lok Sabha on this subject, he alleged that the media is in the hands of the powerful and close aides of the prime minister.
“Whenever the PM goes abroad, Mr Adani gets a gift. PM goes to Bangladesh, Mr Adani gets a gift. PM goes to Australia, Mr Adani gets a gift. PM goes to Sri Lanka, Mr Adani gets a gift. PM goes to Sri Lanka, Mr Adani gets a gift,” Gandhi said, referring to contracts bagged by the ports-to-energy conglomerate in those countries.
One businessman became the second richest man in the world from the 609th in a matter of years, the Congress leader said without naming Adani.
“He (Adani) owns ports, airports; he does constructions; he works for the defence sector; he dominates the apple trade in Himachal Pradesh,” Gandhi said.
The former Congress president claimed that the scale of corruption at the Centre is probably “never ever seen” in Indian history.
Gandhi said he had asked the PM to disclose his relationship with Adani in a Lok Sabha speech earlier this month, but got no reply.
“My speech was nowhere to be seen. It was not visible in the media, not heard about in newspapers and not seen in channels,” he said.
On Monday also, Gandhi alleged that the billionaire industrialist benefited from the central government’s “magic” and asserted that he was not against businesses but the creation of monopolies.
Gandhi and the Congress party have been attacking the prime minister and the government over the growth of the Adani group during the BJP rule and have claimed that this is happening due to the businessman’s proximity to the party and its leadership.
The BJP had slammed the allegations as baseless and reminded the opposition party that there were big scams when the Congress-led UPA was in power that tarnished the image of the country.
Stating that he had come to learn about the lack of unemployment across the country during his recent 4000 km Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress leader said he came to know how the common people are in pain because of rising prices of petrol, diesel, gas cylinders and food products.
The Congress party is committed to fight against issues concerning Indians – price rise, control of the country’s wealth in the hands of one or two persons, unemployment and the “hatred that the BJP is spreading”, Gandhi said.
