'Why Don't They Ever Say Jai Siyaram?' Rahul Gandhi Attacks BJP And RSS

Rahul Gandhi stated that the country's farmers and laborers are the true ascetics (tapasvi), but the BJP government is attacking them.

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra, party leader Rahul Gandhi said on Monday that the BJP and RSS didn't pay attention to the invocations "Hey Ram" and "Jai Siyaram," which both acknowledge Lord Ram and Goddess Sita, reported news agency PTI. Gandhi was giving a speech at a corner meeting in Nahardi, Jhalawar district, to celebrate the arrival of his Bharat Jodo Yatra. He then proceeded to the Khel Sankul here for the overnight stop. 

"The people of the BJP and RSS, learn to live your lives by the ideals of Lord Ram. And listen carefully, you will have to say 'Hey Ram' and 'Jai Siyaram'," he said He said earlier the 'Jai Siyaram' slogan was used in the entire country.

"Can Ram exist without Sita... the question does not arise. Without Sita, there cannot be Ram and without Ram there cannot be Sita," he said. "Then why have the BJP and the RSS removed maa Sita from their slogans. Why don't they ever say Jai Siyaram?" "It's okay if you want to say Jai Shri Ram. Do so. But the RSS people will have to say Jai Siyaram and they cannot insult mother Sita," he said.

The slogan "Hey Ram" was also used against the BJP and RSS by the Congress leader.

"There is another slogan that Gandhiji used to say. That is probably the most beautiful slogan... Hey Ram! This is the slogan having the deepest meaning. I want to tell you the meaning of Hey Ram. These are words that Mahatma Gandhi said after being shot. Hey Ram, Hey Ram, Hey Ram," he said.

"Today, I want to tell you the depth of that slogan and the thinking of Gandhiji. Hey Ram means Lord Ram.

He said Lord Ram respected everyone and had no hatred towards anyone.

"Lord Ram had a thought, he had a feeling in his heart, he had a way of life. He used to respect everyone. He didn't hate anyone. He loved everyone and hugged everyone. We call that feeling Hey Ram. When we say Hey Ram, we decide that we will live our life by the ideals Lord Ram had. This is the meaning of Hey Ram," he said.

The people of RSS have forgotten this, he said.

"They never say Jai Siyaram, Sita has been removed and they never chant Hey Ram as they do not believe in the ideals of Lord Ram," Gandhi added.

He stated that if they did not, they would not have "spread hatred."

"I want to tell the people of RSS, you should understand Lord Ram, understand his ideals, his way of life. He only talked about love, about brotherhood, about respect. Didn't talk about hatred, about violence." Gandhi urged the crowd to ask the people of RSS and BJP to chant 'Jai Siyaram' and 'Hey Ram' whenever they meet them.

Aside from demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Gandhi also took aim at the Central government.

"Demonetisation and faulty GST are not laws. They are weapons to hurt the poor, small and micro businessmen. Their aim is to provide benefit to the billionaires of India by snatching it from small shopkeepers, small and medium businessmen," he said.

On the stage, there were several leaders, including Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra.

Gandhi stated that the country's farmers and laborers are the true ascetics (tapasvi), but the BJP government is attacking them.

"The Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre and wherever there are BJP governments in (states), they are closing all avenues of employment one after the other. This is creating a fear in the country and BJP people are turning this fear into hatred. That is why we started this journey," he said.

On expansion, he said, the costs of LPG chamber, petroleum and diesel have shot-up radically and "we all know that our mothers and sisters suffer the most due to inflation". 

(With PTI Inputs)