Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday (June 23) slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and accused the BJP leaders of spreading hatred and violence in the country. Mr. Gandhi was in Patna to take part in the Opposition meeting convened by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar at his official residence.
Before the Opposition meeting, Mr. Gandhi along with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and general secretary in-charge of the organisation K.C. Venugopal reached Sadaquat Ashram, the Congress headquarters in Bihar, to address the party workers.
During his speech, Mr. Gandhi made a special reference to the State by saying that Congress party’s DNA is in Bihar.
“In the country there is a fight over ideology. On one hand there is Congress party ideology of Bharat Jodo (unite India) and on other hand there is BJP-RSS’s ideology of Bharat Todo (divide India). For this reason, only I have come to Bihar because the Congress party’s DNA is in Bihar. During the Bharat Jodo Yatra, a lot of people from Bihar helped me. In every State where I was going, I used to find people from Bihar. Be it Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and other States, everywhere the people of Bihar walked with me, “Mr. Gandhi said.
As soon as Mr. Gandhi arrived on the stage, Congress workers shouted the slogans of Desh Ka Neta Kaisa Ho, Rahul Gandhi Jaisa Ho (How would Country’s leader be, they would be like Rahul Gandhi).
Mr. Gandhi further asserted that people of Bihar helped him because they believe in and understand the ideology of the Congress party. He alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is engaged in the devastation, spreading hatred and violence in the country. The Congress party on other hand is working to unite people and spreading love, he said.
Sadaquat Ashram is a more than one century old campus and several eminent leaders of the country are associated with it. This is the place where Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Maulana Mazharul Haque stayed during the freedom struggle. India’s first President Rajendra Prasad had spent his last days at Sadaquat Ashram after retirement from the President’s post. Most importantly, this is the place from where Jayaprakash Narayan changed the political course of the country.
It was the maiden visit of Mr. Gandhi after completing his Bharat Jodo Yatra and last time, he had visited Sadaquat Ashram was in 2015 when Janata Dal (United) had formed a government with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress in Bihar.
Mr. Gandhi declared that all the Opposition parties have gathered in Patna to defeat BJP. Talking about the victory in Karnataka Assembly polls, Mr. Gandhi announced that in upcoming Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, Congress party will win and BJP would be defeated.
Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is currently touring the U.S., Mr. Gandhi said, “The entire country has understood very well the meaning of Narendra Modi ji and the BJP. It means to benefit two to three people, handing over the entire country’s wealth to them. However, Congress means standing with poor people and helping the poor people.”
Accompanied by Bihar Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh at Sadaquat Ashram, Mr. Gandhi also unveiled the statue of Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar in the campus premises.
Mr. Kharge said that if they win Bihar, they can win the country as well.
“All of Opposition parties have to unite and fight together in the 2024 elections and for this Rahul Gandhi has taken the first step. We will talk to the leaders of all the parties and take further steps together. We have to fight together to save democracy and the constitution and if we win Bihar then we will win the country as well,” Mr. Kharge said.
He also praised Sadaquat Ashram and said, “the Congress office in Bihar holds great importance in the history of the country. Any leader who emerged from this office fought for the freedom of the country. We are happy and proud that the country’s first President Babu Rajendra Prasad ji also spent his last days in this office.”
Published - June 23, 2023 11:34 am IST
