Rahul attacks Centre on price rise, says BJP spreading hatred

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused the Narendra Modi government of “weakening” India in the last eight years, said the alleged atmosphere of hatred and fear would benefit China and Pakistan, and announced that the Congress and other opposition parties will defeat the ideology of the BJP and RSS.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused the Narendra Modi government of “weakening” India in the last eight years, said the alleged atmosphere of hatred and fear would benefit China and Pakistan, and announced that the Congress and other opposition parties will defeat the ideology of the BJP and RSS.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at the rally at Ramlila Maidan, in New Delhi, on Sunday. (Sanjeev Verma/HT photo)

Addressing the ‘Mehengai Par Hall Bol’ rally at the Ramlila Maidan in the national capital, Gandhi said the ruling dispensation at the Centre was “taking India backward”. “(Prime Minister) Modi has weakened India in the last eight years. Our economic strength has weakened as a result of price rise, unemployment, hate and fear,” he said.

While the rally focused on the issues of price rise and unemployment, Gandhi also spoke about defeating the BJP-RSS ideology. “It is an ideological war. Our party, along with other opposition parties, will defeat the BJP and RSS’s ideology,” Gandhi said. His comments signal a tactical thinking as three months ago, at the party’s Chintan Shivir in Udaipur, he had said that it is the Congress, and not regional parties, that can defeat the BJP.

The BJP reacted sharply to Gandhi’s allegations. “Rahul Gandhi said the nation is filled with hatred and anger but actually, his speech was full of it,” party spokesperson Sambit Patra told a press conference.

Responding to the claim that only two industrialists have benefitted since the BJP came to power, Patra took a jibe at the Gandhi family.

“It is very clear that the Congress party is a party of only two family members. This nation belongs to Indians, but your party does not even belong to the Congressmen. When the family has not shared Congress with its own party members, how can you talk about the nation,” he said.

The Congress leader tried to link the alleged rise of hate and anger with unemployment and price rise and drew a parallel between the government of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the present dispensation. Gandhi said the Congress lifted 270 million people out of poverty but Modi has “pushed” 230 million people back into poverty.

“The UPA saw economic progress. We brought 27 crore (270 million) people out of poverty. In the last eight years, Modi pushed 23 crore (230 million) people back to poverty,” he told the rally, which is a precursor to the 3500km-long Bharat Jodo Yatra that is slated to be launched in Kanyakumari on September 7.

The UPA government had waived off farm loans worth ₹70,000 crore but the Modi government tried to bring three “black laws”, he said, referring to the now-withdrawn agricultural laws that witnessed widespread protest for over a year till last year. He added that the UPA-era Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) provided work to millions of people during the Covid-19 pandemic. And referring to the current price of cooking gas, petrol, diesel and mustard oil, he said: “In its 70 years (of rule), the Congress had never given such a high price rise.”

He also alleged that two industrialists and the Modi government were dependent on each other. “Modi talks about New India, Make in India but he is taking India backward, spreading hatred and fear. This will benefit our enemies, China and Pakistan,” he added.

Ever since the BJP came to power, hate and anger increased manifold, Gandhi alleged. “But is this hatred helping farmers and small traders? Full benefit of this hate and anger is being reaped by two industrialists. They own airports, roads, cellphones and oil,” he said.

Gandhi also told his supporters why he had to undertake the Bharat Jodo Yatra . “The government has closed the Parliamentary route. When we try to speak in the House, our mikes are turned off. The media belongs to them. Whoever speaks against PM Modi, the ED and CBI are unleashed on them,” he said.

“We will go to the people, tell them the current situation and hear from them too,” he said, referring to the party’s upcoming nationwide march.

Gandhi, who was grilled by the Enforcement Directorate last month for 55 hours, told the rally that he is not afraid of ED: “They grilled me for 55 hours. They can grill me for 55 days. But we have to save our Constitution.”

The language used by the Congress leader to address constitutional institutions was “abysmally low” and is an issue of great concern, Patra said.

Law minister Kiren Rijiju also took a dig at Gandhi for purportedly giving out different figures on poverty alleviation during UPA rule, saying this happens when one returns to India once in a few months.

“This happens when you come back to India once in a few months from abroad to fulfil part-time politics,” he said.