Rahul Gandhi drops t-shirt look for khadi kurta, his Lok Sabha speech holds clue why
“Aaj pehna hun khadi,” Rahul Gandhi said to comments from BJP-led NDA MPs as he framed his argument for poll reforms by citing khadi fabric and self-sufficiency
He noted Congress MP Rahul Gandhi went with a kurta-with-open-sleeves look in Parliament on Tuesday, dropping the all-weather polo t-shirt look that he took on during his Bharat Jodo Yatra of 2022-23. And it had a reason, which he explained as ruling party benches noticed and commented on it.
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Speaking in the debate on electoral reforms, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha framed his argument on fairness of elections and institutions around Mahatma Gandhi's ideas. One of these ideas was of self-sufficiency, marked by the handspun fabric khadi, he said.
“Aaj pehna hun khadi,” Rahul Gandhi said — “today I am even wearing khadi” — responding to the comments from the BJP-led NDA MPs on his sartorial choice for the day.
He said khadi was a marker of equality and the “spirit of India”, and he was wearing it, apparently, to underline which side he stood on “while the RSS-BJP hate the idea of equality”.
Rahul Gandhi's kurta was not very different from the kind he wore before switching to the white t-shirt look. It had sleeves that ended above the wrists, and was made of a thick handspun fabric. It's the typical neta look in India, even wider South Asia.
But his t-shirt and cargo pants, mostly with running shoes, have been a trademark even in the coldest of weathers.
His choice earlier to switch from the kurta, which he wears occassionally now, to the relatively younger dressing style of t-shirt and khakis has also been assessed by branding experts as an effort to convey an authentic style, in contrast to the kurta-jacket look that PM Narendra Modi mostly carries. The Tuesday switch to a khadi kurta suggested Rahul Gandhi uses, indeed, his clothes for political messaging too.
Of fabrics and ‘vote chori’: Rahul draws connection
“Have you ever wondered why Mahatma Gandhi laid such emphasis on khadi… why is it that he only worse khadi,” he asked in his speech, explaining, “Because, khadi is not just a cloth. Khadi is the expression of the people of India… Whichever state you go to, you will find different fabrics… and they represent the people."
The Congress leader argued that the deeper meaning is that each one of the fabrics has “thousands of threads embracing each other”.
“The other thing to notice is that all the threads are equal, and they come together as a fabric to protect you… keep you warm,” he said, saying India too is a “fabric of 1.5 billion people woven together by the vote".
He said the vote ensures every person is equal, but “this disturbs the RSS” — attacking the parent organisation of the BJP.
“They do not believe in equality, they believe in hierarchy, and believe they should be on top of that,” Gandhi said, also linking them with the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by Nathuram Godse. He noted that the RSS and BJP deny any association with Godse.
He alleged that the RSS-BJP have been working towards an end to equal rights such as the vote, thus “trying to capture every institution” like the Election Commission.
Ruckus ensued as he went on to allege irregularities in the Haryana voter rolls again. “We have a Brazilian woman who appears 22 times in the Haryana voter list,” he said, repeating an assertion he made at a recent press conference. “The election was stolen and the theft was ensured by the Election Commission,” he further alleged.
He said India is not only the world’s largest democracy but “the greatest democracy". Stressing the need to protect the integrity of the electoral system, he said, “Vote chori is an anti-national act."
