Rahul Gandhi says freedom of faith shrinking; BJP recalls 1984

NEW DELHI: Congress functionary Rahul Gandhi told the Indian diaspora in the US that the fight at home wasn't about politics but whether Sikhs, and adherents of other faiths, will be able to practise their religion with freedom.

At a convention of Indians in Washington, the Congress functionary said the "idea of Modi" - 56 inches and direct connection with God - has disappeared in a jiffy, and people are no longer scared of PM Modi after the 2024 Lok Sabha results.

Stressing on his now established refrain of threat to religious minorities under the Modi govt, Rahul singled out a Sikh member in the audience and asked him his name, who replied Bhalender Singh. He then said, "Fight (in India) is not about politics. That is superficial. The fight is about whether... he (Bhalender) as a Sikh is going to be allowed to wear his turban in India, wear a Kada in India, or be able to go to a gurdwara, that's what the fight is about, and not just for him, for all religions... the fight is about what type of India we are going to have."

Responding to a question on reservations and how long it would continue, Rahul said, "We will think of scrapping reservations when India is a fair place. And India is not a fair place. When you look at the financial numbers, tribals get 10 paise out of Rs 100, Dalits get Rs 5 out of Rs 100, and OBCs get a similar number. The fact of the matter is that they're not getting participation."

Rahul jibed that post-2024 polls, people stop him on the roads and tell him that their fear has vanished. He laughed while it took BJP years to spread the scare through agencies, it disappeared in a matter of seconds.

In New Delhi, Congress said it is hypocritical of BJP to criticise Rahul Gandhi for his justified comments in the US when PM Modi has been going abroad and "insulting generations of Indians" by saying that nothing happened in India in 60 years before 2014.

Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said, " BJP ecosystem is nervous and flailing because Rahul has spoken the plain truth. The 'Modi bubble' has burst. His politics of fear has failed, and nobody takes him or his band of cheerleaders seriously. Rahul has time and time again warned about the BJP-RSS' dangerous politics of hatred and division. His entire mission has been to bring in love. BJP-RSS is the single biggest threat to this inclusivity."


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