Fight is between ideologies of Congress and RSS, says Rahul
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) over ‘their concept of one nation, one language, one leader, and one people.’
Addressing the public at a roadshow at Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad on Monday, Mr. Gandhi said the main fight in the general election was between the ideologies of the RSS and the Congress.
Mr. Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders were nowadays vocal about one nation, one language, one leader, and one people and it stemmed from a wrong understanding of the country. “Language is not something that is imposed from the top. It comes from a person’s heart,” Mr. Gandhi said.
To tell a person from Kerala that your language is inferior to Hindi, for example, is an insult to the people of Kerala, he said. “Malayalam is not just a language, it is your link to your civilisation,” Mr. Gandhi said.
‘Many leaders needed’
“The idea that India should have only one leader is an insult to every young Indian,” Mr. Gandhi said, adding: “Why cannot a young boy or girl not be a leader, why cannot one of our brothers who is driving an autorickshaw or a police officers be a leader?”
“Why one leader? There should be millions of leaders in India,” he added, emphasising that this was the main difference between the BJP and the Congress.
“We want to listen to our people. We want to love and respect their lives, their language, religion and culture. The BJP wants to impose something from the top,” Mr. Gandhi said.
The Congress leader said that India did not gain Independence from the British to be colonised by the ideology of the RSS. “We want India to be ruled by her people,” he added.
Issues in Wayanad
Mr. Gandhi also highlighted the unresolved issues of the district such as the night traffic ban on the KozhikodeKollegal National Highway 766, escalating humananimal conflict, and the ‘apathy’ of the government in setting up better medicalcare facilities and in facilitating the NanjangudNilambur line.
The mananimal conflict and night traffic ban were complex issues, but the government could easily provide better medical care and improve the condition of the government medical college in the district.
Promises
Mr. Gandhi promised that all the issues would be resolved if the United Democratic Front were in power at the Centre and the State after the elections.
Mr. Gandhi thanked the public of Wayanad for the love and affection they gave him. He said he had invited his mother Sonia Gandhi for a oneweek tour to the district.
He later attended a farmers’ meeting at Pulpally. He will lead road shows at Mananthavady and Kalpetta.
He comes down heavily on the BJP for ‘the concept of one nation, one language, one leader, and one people’