E-Paper
Don’t allow a culture of silence: Rahul in Kerala
Rahul Gandhi urged Kerala voters to oppose BJP/RSS, asserting the upcoming elections will amplify the people's voice and uphold democracy.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday urged the people of the state to not allow “ a culture of silence” and asserted that the upcoming assembly elections in Kerala will demonstrate the strength of the people’s voice against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Gandhi was addressing the “Maha Panchayat” function organised by the Congress in Marine Drive in Kochi to celebrate the party’s victory in the recent local body elections in the state. All the local body representatives who won on the Congress ticket in the polls were present at the event.
In the elections held in December 2025, the Congress-led UDF won 8021 of the 17337 gram panchayat wards, 1241 of the 2267 block panchayat wards, 196 of the 346 district panchayat divisions, 1458 of the 3240 municipality wards and 187 of the 421 municipal corporation wards.
“I am happy that we have done well. The panchayat is the foundation of our democratic system. If we want to protect the Constitution and ensure that it survives, we should protect the third tier of governance. The difference between the BJP/RSS and the Congress is that while they stand for centralisation of power, we stand for decentralisation,” he said.
“BJP/RSS wants compliance from the people. They don’t want to hear the voice of the people... The ideological attacks by the BJP/RSS are designed to create a culture of silence. They want India to remain silent and not to express herself,” he added.
Gandhi, who visited Kerala for the first time since the UDF’s victory, alleged that the BJP desired an India where all assets belong to a few specific people.
“They (BJP) know that the only way this is possible is if the democratic voice of the people is silenced. No one can silence the voice of the people of Kerala. This coming election will demonstrate that the voice of the people of Kerala is loud and clear. I am confident that the UDF will win the upcoming Assembly polls with a thumping majority,” he asserted.
Gandhi, during his address, praised Kerala’s “sophisticated political culture” and remarked that the state produces the best panchayat presidents in the country. He said it was so because those who emerge as heads of local self-governments rise through a political process where they are accountable to the people.
“The young people who have been elected must understand that they have been given trust by the people. Respect, cherish and defend this trust. Remember that in the end, as a member of the Congress, you are defending the Constitution of India. Don’t allow a culture of silence to pervade this country,” he remarked. Gandhi also exhorted the leaders of the UDF to present a vision to solve the issue of “high unemployment” in Kerala before the assembly elections. He said he was confident that the UDF leadership has the capacity to understand what the people need and deliver the same to them.
During his visit, Gandhi also presented the ‘Priyadarshini Literary Award’ to veteran writer and literary critic M Leelavathy. Gandhi called Leelavathy an icon not just in Kerala, but across India.
