He said while Narendra Modi is the PM, he cannot be so without “these two industrialists”, who control the media and work for Modi, and then reap benefits from the government.
“This country does not belong to two industrialists, it belongs to the poor of India,” he said.
The unnamed corporate duo emerged as the refrain in the Gandhi scion’s speech at Congress’s ‘Mehengai Par Halla Bol’ rally on Sunday at the Ramlila Maidan in the national capital, through which he painted a picture of “rising bigotry and cronyism” that he said is hollowing the country and impoverishing the masses.
“The condition of India now is such that even if the country wishes, it cannot provide jobs to its youth. Jobs are not created by these two industrialists, but by MSMEs and farmers, whose backs have been broken by Modi. The joblessness will become worse in future… If there was no MGNREGA given by the UPA, the country would have been on fire,” he warned, adding that “fear of future” is leading to increasing levels of hatred and anger.
Rahul, flanked by the young and old Congress leadership, was the key speaker, who laid out the party’s future roadmap, of which the five-month and 3,500-km Bharat Jodo Yatra starting on Wednesday is the principal pillar. It was in explaining the rationale behind the Yatra that he unloaded the most trenchant attack on the BJP regime.
Rahul said media “controlled by these two industrialists” does not show the truth about massive inflation, unemployment, farmers problems and Chinese invasion, while the opposition is not allowed to raise these issues in Parliament by Modi government, who have also “terrorised” the constitutional institutions like the judiciary and the election commission.
“The opposition does not have an alternative. It has only one option — go directly to the masses and tell them the reality,” he said, to loud approval from the gathering at the historic Ramlila Maidan.
In a harsh jibe, Rahul said, “Modi is taking the country backwards, he is spreading hatred, fear and the country is suffering because of it. It can only benefit China, Pakistan and enemies of India… How can inflation, joblessness, hatred, strengthen any country?”
The rally appeared a bid to reposition Congress as BJP’s arch rival, after recent reverses, internal churn and an unsettled leadership issue. Rahul chose to put forth his manifesto to fight the Modi-led BJP, that he has often complained has not been embraced by the rest of the leaders. The focus was on “hatred” and “cronyism” and a magnified stress on Congress’s “aam aadmi” history. Along with Kanyakumari-Kashmir Yatra, the Delhi rally has been framed by party strategists as steps to project Congress as being alive to the political challenge ahead.
While much of what Rahul said was a repetition from his old attack sheets, it was significant because it will form part of the five-month-long narrative Congress and its leaders will propagate in the intensive mass contact through the yatra.
Rahul said BJP and RSS deliberately stoke fear in the country. “Who is gaining from this anger and hatred… Its entire benefit has been mopped up by two industrialists, be it ports, airports, roads, cellphone, petroleum,” he claimed.
Yet again slamming Modi for “using investigative agencies” against the opposition and activists, Rahul said he too was questioned for 55 hours. “But I want to tell Modi, whether you make me sit in the ED office for 55 hours or five years, I am not afraid of your ED. Every Indian has to work to protect India, the constitution, the soul of the country. If we don’t, then this country will not survive,” he said. Thanking Congress workers, he said, “Only you can save the country”.
He said the UPA gave massive loan waivers, land acquisition law and programmes like MGNREGA, right to food, while Modi gave “black” farm laws and called job guaranatee scheme “an insult to the poor”. “UPA lifted 27 crore people out of poverty, and Modi in eight years has pushed 23 crore back into poverty,” he said.
Rahul said note-bandi (demonetisation) took away money from the poor in the name of fighting black money, but later loans of the biggest corporates were waived off.