From Our Bureau
New Delhi: “They generate a certain amount of hatred in society, they polarize society and they are not inclusive, they don’t embrace everybody and they divide society, and that is damaging, in my view, to India. Because India has always had a tradition of conversation of openness”, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said during his US visit clearly demarcating differences between his party and the ruling BJP.
Responding to a host of question at the National Press Club in Washington yesterday, Rahul Gandhi said India has a great opportunity, huge opportunity to transform the lives of millions and millions of Indians. “In order to do that, it needs to imagine a new India in a big dynamic manner and I think in order to do that, India needs to be in harmony”, he stressed.
In response to a question on the current Russia-Ukraine war in the backdrop of the India’s traditional ties with Moscow, Rahul Gandhi surprised the audience saying “our policy would broadly be similar” to that of the Modi government because “we have a relationship with the Russians that can’t be denied, it is there”.
On a question that India’s economy has improved since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, the Congress leader expressed disagreement saying that country is facing highest ever unemployment in last four decades with dramatic price rise.
“There was a feeling in India that there is a set of people who have a huge amount of wealth and then there is large, massive number of Indian people who are poor and struggling, huge income disparities and unemployment”, he pointed out.
The central difference between how we see it and how the BJP sees it is: we believe in decentralization of power, Rahul Gandhi said explaining essential and crucial difference between the two national parties. “We believe in supporting small and medium industries, and we believe that they are the engine of growth in India; and they tend to concentrate the power and wealth in few limited people. So, that I would say, broadly, that’s the difference in the economic perspective”, he said.
On a question what changes would be made to ensure rights of minorities if his party returned to power, the Congress leader said India has a very robust system already in place, that system has been weakened, but it’s not that the system doesn’t exist. If the democratic conversation is allowed to be fostered, then these issues will settle themselves.
Whether rule of law is in place currently, Gandhi did not mince words saying “No, it is not”. “You have to have an independent set of institutions that are not pressurized and controlled and that has been the norm in India. This is an aberration that is taking place in India. So, from our perspective, the foundations of democracy in India are very strong and the protections exist, but they are being disturbed.”
On state of freedom of the press in India, the visiting leader answered in negative saying the fact that there is a weakening of press freedom. “This is not hidden. Everybody knows it. It is apparent in India. The rest of the world can see it, and I think, press freedom is very-very critical for a democracy”, he said.
While taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is visiting the US later this month, Rahul Gandhi said: “This is the question you should ask to Mr. Modi. More apt, I don’t know, how will you get that? I don’t know how will get that. I think, it will be better question directed at him.”
