‘Bunch of jokers’: Rahul Gandhi attacks BJP-RSS, mocks Modi’s ‘hugging’ foreign policy
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the BJP and RSS, calling them a 'bunch of jokers' and accusing them of having little understanding of India’s history, culture and present-day realities.
Speaking at the Rachnatmak Congress National Convention in New Delhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy, mocking what he described as an excessive focus on hugging world leaders.
Gandhi demonstrated his point on stage by hugging Rachnatmak Congress chief Sandeep Dikshit.
He questioned the idea that diplomacy could be reduced to such gestures and said India’s foreign policy required a deeper understanding of the country and its interests.
He also alleged that the RSS had lost its original character and had instead become an 'instrument of large capital', naming industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani.
Gandhi claimed the organisation had once represented sections of small Indian businesses but had gradually become aligned with corporate interests.
Aiming for the government’s approach towards dissent, Gandhi said the political battle was between those seeking to impose an order on society and those demanding the freedom to express themselves.
Referring to student protests at Jantar Mantar, he accused the government of attempting to restrict public expression in the name of maintaining order.
Gandhi said the Congress would continue to put pressure on the government and claimed that Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah would remain under pressure until they resigned.
'We will keep them awake,' he said, while stressing that the Congress would pursue its political fight without hatred or violence.
He also criticised the BJP leadership over its handling of Parliament and claimed that the government was beginning to feel the impact of growing public expression.
Gandhi further questioned why Modi does not hold regular press conferences, saying he came to understand the Prime Minister’s reluctance to face the media after spending time with him.
The Congress leader said India could not be understood merely by looking at its ancient history, arguing that its present-day expressions and aspirations were equally important.
He also said that even if the Congress eventually opposed the RSS politically, it would defend the organisation’s right to express itself, arguing that freedom of expression should apply to everyone.
Throughout his speech, Gandhi repeatedly framed the Congress’s political fight as one against what he described as an attempt to impose a rigid order on India, while asserting that the country’s identity was rooted in pluralism, love, brotherhood and non-violence.