New Delhi: India may be a democracy in our imagination, but not in reality, said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Thursday.
“Which country are you talking about? India? India has no democracy. India may be a democracy in your imagination, but not in reality,” Gandhi said while speaking to the media outside the Rashtrapati Bhawan. He was responding to a question pertaining to democratic protests in the country.
Gandhi led a delegation of Congress leaders to meet President Ram Nath Kovind to submit a list of signatures collected by the party against the controversial farm laws. The delegation, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and K.C. Venugopal, among others, were, however, stopped by the Delhi Police and detained at Mandir Marg after Section 144 was imposed around the area.
Only Rahul Gandhi, Congress’ leader in Lok Sabha Adir Ranjan Chowdhury and the party’s leader in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad were permitted to go to the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Gandhi, speaking to the media after the meeting with the President, said he is “warning the country that PM Modi is weakening India”.
“The PM thinks that the farmers will go home. But they won’t. They won’t go home till the laws are taken back,” Gandhi said. “It’s really harsh weather. Farmers are in pain and anguish, and they are dying. But the PM doesn’t care about them,” he added.
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‘Modi working to benefit few crony capitalists’
Gandhi further said that PM Modi only works to benefit “2-3 crony capitalists” and whoever stands in their way is termed a terrorist.
“Modi has only one aim and that is to aid 2-3 crony capitalists to earn money. Whoever speaks up against them, will become a terrorist,” Gandhi said.
“So now, farmers are being termed as terrorists. Tomorrow, if Mohan Bhagwat (RSS chief) comes in their way, even he will be termed a terrorist. Whoever will try and take power from Modi will become a terrorist,” he added.
Gandhi said PM Modi will come up with “whatever narrative he needs to construct” to continue with his policies.
‘PM an incompetent man controlled by a few’
Gandhi said he had warned the country of coronavirus, but the government didn’t take him seriously. “I said then that take coronavirus seriously, it will kill people. Then they called it scaremongering,” Gandhi said. “I am saying it again, the country is going to suffer because of these (farm) laws,” he added.
Terming PM Modi an “incompetent man”, Gandhi said he is only “controlled” by other people.
“You have an incompetent man who is controlled by other people, who doesn’t understand anything. Their aim is to get money from the people of India and give it to them (crony capitalists),” Gandhi said.
He added that everyone is going to suffer because of “the assault on India”.
“Frankly, it doesn’t matter what you think right now. If you are a farmer, you will face it. If you own a small business, you will face it. If you are a journalist, you will face it. There is not going to be a single person in the country, who will not face it. This is an assault on the idea of India,” Gandhi said.
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