RSS trying to capture institutions: Rahul

NEW DELHI: Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi by calling him a "coward", Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday challenged PM Modi to a debate on issues such as national security, Rafale and the economy.

The Congress chief also alleged that the RSS was trying to capture the institutions of the country and his party's governments in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh will remove the organisation's loyalists from the system.

“I know his (Modi) character after fighting him for five years. He is a coward. When someone stands up to him, he runs away,” Gandhi said at the party's minority cell convention here. The Congress chief said that fear was writ large on Modi's face. “He now knows you can't rule India by dividing people,” he said in his speech in Hindi.

While addressing the gathering, Gandhi mocked at Modi by saying that security guards (chaukidars) show their displeasure over his chaukidar chor remarks as they say that I've defamed them. “I apologise to them as I've not defamed them. They are doing a great service to the nation. I'm talking about only one chaukidar, who is a chor.”

“The image of Narendra Modi is finished,” Rahul said. He also alleged that the RSS was attempting to capture institutions, from the judiciary to the Election Commission.

“We have not merely formed governments in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh... we will ensure that RSS people put in institutions in these states are removed,” he said.

The Congress chief also alleged that while China sent its army to Doklam, the prime minister flew to China and held a summit without an agenda. He had folded his hands in front of China, Gandhi alleged.