Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday in a renewed attack compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government with the British empire and said India has fought greater powers and in comparison, the fight against the Modi-led dispensation is nothing. "The people of India sent back the British empire. We will too send Modi back to Nagpur, that too without any hatred, anger and violence. They can spit on us, kick and abuse but we will not do any such thing," Gandhi said.
Gandhi was referring to the city in Maharashtra where the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has its headquarters. He made the comments while interacting with professors at St Xavier’s College in Tirunelveli of Tamil Nadu, where assembly elections will be held in April.
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Attacking the party at the Centre, Gandhi said the BJP-ruled government wants to take what belongs to people and give it to one or two big businessmen. "They take what belongs to farmers, labourers and teachers and give it to big businesses," he said.
During this address, the Congress leader also talked about his party's vision to decentralise education and make it accessible to all. The Wayanad lawmaker slammed the central government for its centralised approach in the National Education Policy and using it as a weapon to communalise. He said that the government needs to provide a level playing field to all religions for free religious discourse.
{{/usCountry}}During this address, the Congress leader also talked about his party's vision to decentralise education and make it accessible to all. The Wayanad lawmaker slammed the central government for its centralised approach in the National Education Policy and using it as a weapon to communalise. He said that the government needs to provide a level playing field to all religions for free religious discourse.
{{/usCountry}}Gandhi said the aim of the secular alliance between the Congress and the DMK, if they come to power, is to make education universal. “We will increase access to education for the poor and women of this country,” Gandhi said while interacting with one of the professors.
He also said that the government sees everything—agriculture, healthcare and education—as a financial commodity. He said ₹1.50 thousand lakh crores given by the government to five to six big businesses during the coronavirus pandemic should have been diverted to the education sector to make it accessible for all.
The polls for 234 assembly seats in Tamil Nadu are to be held in a single phase on April 6 and votes will be counted on May 2. The Congress-DMK combine and the BJP-AIADMK alliance are the major groups contesting in the assembly elections.