Will not allow RSS to run the country, says Rahul

Agartala: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that the RSS would not be allowed to run the country and it is the people of the country, particularly the northeast region, would govern their land and nation.

“The (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi government wants the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) from Nagpur would run the country and the northeast region. Congress would, in no way, allow this.

“People of the country and the northeast region would govern their land and nation,” Gandhi said at an election rally in Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council headquarters Khumulwng, 15 km north of Agartala.

He said that the Lok Sabha election would be fought between Congress’ ideology of inclusiveness and love and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s “nafrat” (hatred), and accused the latter of destroying India’s culture, history and language.

Gandhi, in his around 25 minute speech in Hindi, claimed that when farmers fought to seek waiver of their loans, Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said there are no such norms, while letting of lakhs of crores of businessmen like Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and others.

Citing how the UPA government had waived farmers’ loan of Rs 70,000 crore and how the new Congress governments in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan waived loans in two days, instead of the 10 days sought, he attacked the Modi government of helping “all thieves of India loot the people’s hard-earned money”, of causing loss of jobs for youth and removing the Central Bureau of Investigation Director when the agency wanted to probe the Rafale jet deal.

“Narendra Modi deprived the people, specially the farmers and the poor, and gave huge benefit to many industrial tycoons. We would give benefit to the people after the Congress come to the government,” he added.

He also attacked demonetisation. “An eight-year-old child even understand the terrible affect of Modi’s demonetisation, but he does not realised how much he had destroyed by his hasty decision.”

Noting BJP President Amit Shah had said his party would again bring the Citizenship Bill if it comes to power, Gandhi asserted the Congress would steadfastly oppose it as it “is against the interests of the people of northeast and other parts of the country”.

He promised to restore the special status to all the northeastern states which the Modi government had revoked it if the party come to power after the elections.

State Congress President Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarman, Congress Secretary Bhupen Bora, and tribal leader Animesh Debbarma among others also addressed the rally.

Party sources had earlier said during his stay, the Congress chief would announce his party’s candidates for the two Lok Sabha constituencies in Tripura, but it was not done.

Gandhi launched his second phase of Congress’ election campaign in the northeast from Arunachal Pradesh, went to Manipur on Tuesday and in the last leg of his visit, arrived here on Wednesday. He left for Delhi from here.

Published on: Mar 20, 2019 at 20:34 IST

IANS