Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, launched a scathing attack on the BJP and the RSS on Wednesday (January 15), accusing them of undermining India’s democratic institutions and propagating a divisive vision for the country. He also strongly condemned RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s recent remarks on India’s Independence, labelling them as "treason."
Speaking at the inauguration of the Congress Party’s new headquarters, Indira Bhawan in Delhi, Gandhi pointed out that the event came at a significant moment. He referred to Bhagwat’s statement, where the RSS chief claimed that India attained “true independence” only with the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, dismissing the importance of the country’s 1947 Independence.
“It is quite symbolic that yesterday, in a speech, the chief of the RSS said India never achieved Independence in 1947. He said true Independence was achieved when the Ram Mandir was built. This building is not an ordinary building. It has emerged from the soil of our country, emerged as a result of the hard work and sacrifice of millions of people, and not just sacrifice prior to the freedom movement but sacrifice until today,” Gandhi said.
He accused the BJP and RSS of attempting to rewrite history and diminish the values enshrined in the Constitution.
“There are multiple examples, there's example of course of the Freedom Movement and the fruit of that movement which was the Constitution which was essentially attacked Yesterday by Mr Mohan Bhagwat when he says that the constitution was not the symbol of our freedom,” he added.
The Congress leader framed the ongoing political discourse as a battle between two visions for India: one represented by the Congress, rooted in inclusivity and the constitutional idea of a union of states, and the other by the RSS, which he described as authoritarian and divisive.
“One idea says India is a union of states. As we entered (the building), I saw all the national languages there equally placed together. There is no superior language, no inferior language, there is no superior culture, no inferior culture, there is no superior community, no inferior community, they are all the same. That is written in the Constitution and it is symbolised by this building,” Gandhi said.
Gandhi stated that Bhagwat's remarks would amount to "treason" and would have led to charges in any other country.
“On the other side, there is the idea of a centralised knowledge.. of a centralised understanding. Mohan Bhagwat has the audacity to inform the nation every two or three days what he thinks about the Independence movement and what he thinks about the Constitution. In fact, what he said yesterday is treason. Because it is stating that the Constitution is invalid, the fight against the British was invalid. And he has the audacity to say this publicly. In any country, he would be arrested and tried. That is a fact. To say that India did not get Independence in 1947 is an insult to every single Indian. And it is about time we stop listening to this nonsense that these people think they can keep parroting and shouting and screaming.”
In response, BJP president JP Nadda accused Gandhi of aligning with forces seeking to destabilize India.
“Hidden no more, Congress’ ugly truth now stands exposed by their own leader. I 'compliment' Mr. Rahul Gandhi for saying clearly what the nation knows- that he is fighting the Indian state! It is not a secret that Mr. Gandhi and his ecosystem have close links with Urban Naxals and the Deep State who want to defame, demean and discredit India. His repeated actions have also strengthened this belief. Everything he has done or said has been in the direction of breaking India and dividing our society,” Nadda said in a post on X.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Congress Party’s new headquarters, Indira Bhawan in Delhi, Gandhi pointed out that the event came at a significant moment. He referred to Bhagwat’s statement, where the RSS chief claimed that India attained “true independence” only with the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, dismissing the importance of the country’s 1947 Independence.
“It is quite symbolic that yesterday, in a speech, the chief of the RSS said India never achieved Independence in 1947. He said true Independence was achieved when the Ram Mandir was built. This building is not an ordinary building. It has emerged from the soil of our country, emerged as a result of the hard work and sacrifice of millions of people, and not just sacrifice prior to the freedom movement but sacrifice until today,” Gandhi said.
He accused the BJP and RSS of attempting to rewrite history and diminish the values enshrined in the Constitution.
“There are multiple examples, there's example of course of the Freedom Movement and the fruit of that movement which was the Constitution which was essentially attacked Yesterday by Mr Mohan Bhagwat when he says that the constitution was not the symbol of our freedom,” he added.
The Congress leader framed the ongoing political discourse as a battle between two visions for India: one represented by the Congress, rooted in inclusivity and the constitutional idea of a union of states, and the other by the RSS, which he described as authoritarian and divisive.
“One idea says India is a union of states. As we entered (the building), I saw all the national languages there equally placed together. There is no superior language, no inferior language, there is no superior culture, no inferior culture, there is no superior community, no inferior community, they are all the same. That is written in the Constitution and it is symbolised by this building,” Gandhi said.
Gandhi stated that Bhagwat's remarks would amount to "treason" and would have led to charges in any other country.
“On the other side, there is the idea of a centralised knowledge.. of a centralised understanding. Mohan Bhagwat has the audacity to inform the nation every two or three days what he thinks about the Independence movement and what he thinks about the Constitution. In fact, what he said yesterday is treason. Because it is stating that the Constitution is invalid, the fight against the British was invalid. And he has the audacity to say this publicly. In any country, he would be arrested and tried. That is a fact. To say that India did not get Independence in 1947 is an insult to every single Indian. And it is about time we stop listening to this nonsense that these people think they can keep parroting and shouting and screaming.”
In response, BJP president JP Nadda accused Gandhi of aligning with forces seeking to destabilize India.
“Hidden no more, Congress’ ugly truth now stands exposed by their own leader. I 'compliment' Mr. Rahul Gandhi for saying clearly what the nation knows- that he is fighting the Indian state! It is not a secret that Mr. Gandhi and his ecosystem have close links with Urban Naxals and the Deep State who want to defame, demean and discredit India. His repeated actions have also strengthened this belief. Everything he has done or said has been in the direction of breaking India and dividing our society,” Nadda said in a post on X.
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