‘We have seen aggressive politics in the country which attacks the democratic structure…’, Rahul attacks BJP from Washington DC

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said in Washington DC late on Tuesday night, “Being the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha is an extension of my earlier work. There is an ideological war going on in India between the Congress and our allies with the BJP and the RSS. These are two completely different visions of India. We believe in a pluralistic vision, a vision where everyone has the right to flourish.

All imaginations should have a chance to grow freely in an India where you are not harassed on the basis of what religion you follow, what community you belong to or what language you speak. On the other hand, there is a rigid and centralised approach. This is the scenario, and we fight on this scenario. Protect the institutions of India, protect the weaker sections, protect the lower castes, the tribals, the minorities and the poor people.

After the yatra, I tried to be the voice of as many people as I could. For that, you have to understand what is really happening. You have to go deep into the agriculture sector, the struggles happening there, the financial system, and the tax system. You have to talk to people, and then present a broad viewpoint after understanding them deeply. India Alliance’s vision for the country is going to be completely different from the centralized and monopolistic vision of the BJP.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi described Bharat Jodo Yatra as a journey and not a change. He said that after 2014, there has been a big change in Indian politics. During a conversation in Washington DC, he said, “We have seen such aggressive politics which attacks our democratic structure. It has been a tough fight, but it has also been a good fight. A lot has changed personally too.”

He further said that the vision of the Congress and its allies for India is different from that of the BJP and the RSS. “We believe in pluralism, where all communities get an opportunity to progress, while the BJP and the RSS have a more rigid vision. 90% of India is made up of tribals, backward castes, Dalits and minorities, but the problem is their participation. Their presence in the media, corporate or government is very less. A minority group is controlling the country.”

Rahul Gandhi also said that the most important question for him and the India Alliance is “Are we fair?”

When asked how he has resolved this problem in Karnataka where he is in power, Rahul Gandhi said, “For a country like India, we are focusing on promoting the manufacturing sector rather than the service sector. There is a huge opportunity to encourage production here, but we cannot adopt the Chinese model because it is not democratic. We have a government in Karnataka and Telangana, and we are working on promoting decentralized production systems.”