In US, Rahul launches attack on Modi, Sangh
WASHINGTON: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi described Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “specimen” of a group that believes it knows it all, even more than God, without understanding anything, and alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-Bharatiya Janata Party combine is attacking the Indian way of life, the idea of India, and the Indian Constitution. He has also said that India, today, is not a fair place for Dalits, tribals, minorities and the poor.
Gandhi was speaking to members of the Indian diaspora in California on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning IST) after his arrival for a six-day visit to the US.
In his opening remarks at the event, Gandhi said that Indian tradition and its political and spiritual leaders had emphasised that it was important not to be under the impression that one knew everything. “The world is too big and complicated for any person to know everything. That is the disease…There is a group of people in India who are absolutely convinced they know everything. They think they know more than God. They can sit with God and explain to him what’s going on. Our PM is one such specimen.
If you sat Modiji with God, he will explain to God how the universe works and God will get confused about what have I created.” Gandhi went on to suggest that this group will explain science to scientists, history to historians, warfare to the army, flying to the air force. “At the heart of it is mediocrity. They actually don’t understand anything. Because you can’t understand till you listen.”
The comments got a sharp rebuttal from the BJP, which said that the Congress is “unable to digest” PM Modi’s popularity among global leaders. “Gandhi always insults India abroad. PM Modi met almost 24 PMs and Presidents of the world and held over 50 meetings during his foreign visit... Today, the world sees hope in India’s leadership. Gandhi
and the Congress are unable to digest this,” Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur said.
Gandhi also alleged that the government did everything possible to stop his Bharat Jodo Yatra. He reiterated his support for a caste census with the objective of doing an “x-ray” of India to understand its demographics and “distribute power and wealth” more effectively. And while agreeing with a comment that Indian Muslims were most directly at the receiving end of hatred and aggression, he claimed that all minorities and the poor today in India were under attack.
Even as Gandhi said he needed to understand the details of a possible delimitation exercise better before commenting, he cautioned against any “flippant” change in the representational structure and called for a fair process of negotiations. He claimed the issue of sceptre or the PM lying down in Parliament — in a reference to Modi carrying the Sengol and prostrating during prayers during the new building’s inauguration — were distractions from real issues of unemployment and price rise that the BJP didn’t want to discuss.
Gandhi arrived in San Francisco on Tuesday and was received by Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda, who, along with Congress data analytics cell chief Praveen Chakravarty, is coordinating Gandhi’s visit to the US. Gandhi is scheduled to speak at Stanford University on Wednesday.
His visit comes just weeks before PM Modi heads to the US for a state visit at President Joe Biden’s invitation.
Gandhi also spoke about the Bharat Jodo Yatra. He said that he and the other yatris did not feel any fatigue despite walking 25km a day for “India was walking” with them. That is where, he claimed, they came up with the idea of “shops of love opening in a market of hatred”, the theme of the diaspora event. As a set of protesters chanted slogans against Gandhi, he paused for a moment, turned to them and said, “The interesting thing about us is we have affection towards everyone. If someone wants to come and say something, regardless of what they are saying, we are happy to listen. We won’t get angry, won’t get aggressive.”
Gandhi also took a set of questions from representatives of community organisations, including Tamil, Muslim, Christian, Dalit women, and student outfits that had helped organise the event.
In response to a question on the treatment of Muslims in India and the increased security threat perceived by the community, Gandhi said, “It is felt most strongly by Muslim community because it is done most directly to them. But it is being done to all minorities. The same way you are feeling attacked, I can guarantee that my Sikh brothers, Christian brothers, Dalit and tribal community are feeling the same thing.” He also said that the opening of the new Parliament House was a distraction. “The real issue is unemployment, price rise, spread of anger and hatred, crumbling education system, price of education and health. BJP can’t discuss it. So they have to do things like the sceptre thing and lying down. Aren’t you happy I am not lying down?”
Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi described the former Congress chief as a “fake Gandhi”. “A man whose history knowledge does not go beyond his family is talking about history,” he said. Former Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the Congress is “irked” by the fact that PM Modi has ended “communal vote politics” in the country. “Muslims of India are part of India’s development and progress and PM Modi has assured this. I don’t know what makes them delusional whenever they visit a foreign land,” he said.