When England Wasn't Able To Make India 'Congress-Mukt', How Will PM Modi Do This: Rahul Gandhi

During a speech to party workers in Mumbai, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to create a "Congress-free" India.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asserted on Friday that the INDIA alliance will defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party in national elections, saying his party will replicate its victory in Karnataka in poll-bound Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan. He claimed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the BJP are "scared" of the country's oldest political outfit while speaking to party workers at the Maharashtra Congress office at Tilak Bhavan in Mumbai.

"The media claimed that the Congress party lacked strength, but who defeated the BJP in Karnataka?" Gandhi was referring to his party's landslide victory in the southern state's assembly elections in May of this year.

“Whatever happened in Karnataka will happen in Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh (where assembly polls are due in next few months). The INDIA alliance is going to defeat the BJP in national elections and the Congress party will win the polls,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Gandhi also raised questions about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to establish a "Congress-free" India. He also remarked on the "perceived influence of businessman Gautam Adani on the Prime Minister's political agenda".

Earlier in the day, after the third meeting of the Opposition alliance I.N.D.I.A (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance), Gandhi mentioned critical issues concerning Ladakh, the government's response to border disputes, and the alliance's anti-corruption agenda.

Gandhi spoke about his recent visit to Ladakh and his interactions with local residents, particularly around Pangong Lake, near the disputed border with China, during the conference. He claimed that the Ladakhi people had informed him unequivocally about Chinese incursions into Indian territory, contradicting the government's claims. Rahul Gandhi asserted, "Every single person in Ladakh knows that the people of India and the people of Ladakh have been betrayed by the Govt of India."

Gandhi further accused the government of jeopardising India's national interests in its dealings with China, claiming that border conditions have changed significantly. Even local shepherds were barred from their usual grazing grounds, he observed.

Switching his attention to domestic issues, Gandhi alleged corruption in a "nexus" between the Prime Minister and a specific businessman. "The PM and the BJP are a nexus of corruption," he said, emphasising that the I.N.D.I.A. alliance's primary goal was to expose and correct corruption within the government. Gandhi expressed the alliance's commitment to proposing ideas that would involve the country's disadvantaged population in its progress, with the goal of creating a more inclusive society.

He further outlined two significant steps taken during the alliance meeting during his address. First, a coordination committee and committees under its purview must be established. Second, the commitment to move seat-sharing discussions and decisions forward as quickly as possible. Gandhi emphasised the unity of parties representing a significant portion of the Indian population, making future elections a formidable challenge for the BJP.

Gandhi, who expressed confidence in the alliance's ability to defeat the BJP, emphasised the importance of forging strong relationships among alliance leaders. He noted that the recent meetings had made significant strides in establishing rapport and ensuring that alliance members acted in unison.

"I am confident that the INDIA alliance will defeat the BJP. The real work in this alliance is the relationships that are forged between the leaders of this alliance. I can say with confidence that these two meetings have done a tremendous amount in building rapport among all the leaders and ensuring that all of us work together as one. I can see that there is flexibility among all the leaders in the way we are approaching things," he said. 

The Friday meeting was a significant step forward in the alliance's efforts to present a united front against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.