Rahul Gandhi Accuses RSS and BJP of Anti-Reservation Stance, Targets 'One Country, One Language' Ideology
Daman: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had expressed his opposition to reservations in the past, despite his statement on Sunday that the “Sangh always supported reservations.”
Addressing a campaign rally at Daman in the Union Territory of Daman, Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Rahul also claimed that those persons who have opposed reservations are joining their (RSS’) party (read BJP) and being welcomed into the party fold.
He alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP are trying to abolish the Constitution and various institutions to make their leaders “kings” of the country and help “20-22 billionaires”.
“Narendra Modiji and RSS want to rule the country like the erstwhile kingdom”, he said, adding that the BJP and RSS want “one country, one language and one leader” (system).
Stating that the battle between the Congress and the RSS-BJP is an ideological one, Rahul appealed to people to vote for “protecting” the Constitution. “The Constitution has served as the foundation, the seed from which these institutions have emerged. They want to abolish the Constitution, democracy, and different institutions, and make the RSS-BJP kings (leaders) the kings of the country,” the Congress leader said.
At the foundational level, the difference (between the two ideologies) is that we are protecting the Constitution and all that it has offered to India. On the other hand, the target of the RSS and the BJP is to destroy the Constitution anyhow, the former Congress chief said.
Framing the political discourse as a clash between two ideologies, “On the one hand, the Congress says the identity, culture, history and language of a place should be protected and every place should be run by natives. On the other hand, the BJP and RSS say there should be one country, one language and one leader,” he said.
Questioning the rationale behind the “one language, one leader” principle, Gandhi said it is natural that the people of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Gurajat will speak Tamil, Bengali, and Gujarati languages, respectively.
He dubbed the administrator of the UT of Daman, Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Praful Patel, a “king” installed by Modi who has been given a free hand to trouble people and demolish houses. “Modiji and RSS want to rule the country like the erstwhile kingdoms. Praful Patel has nothing to do with the people, he believes he is the king of the place, and wants to do whatever he wishes. Whatever he is doing here, Modi is doing in Delhi,” Rahul alleged.