New Delhi:

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi grieved the loss of “a mentor and guide” late Thursday after confirmation of the death of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, 92.

In an emotional message on X, Mr Gandhi, in Karnataka’s Belagavi to attend a meeting of the Congress Working Committee, said, “Manmohan Singhji led India with immense wisdom and integrity. His humility and deep understanding of economics inspired the nation.”

“I have lost a mentor and guide. Millions of us who admired him will remember him with the utmost pride,” Mr Gandhi said, “My heartfelt condolences to Mrs Kaur (Mr Singh’s wife) and the family.”

Manmohan Singh Ji led India with immense wisdom and integrity. His humility and deep understanding of economics inspired the nation.

My heartfelt condolences to Mrs. Kaur and the family.

I have lost a mentor and guide. Millions of us who admired him will remember him with the… pic.twitter.com/bYT5o1ZN2R

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 26, 2024

Mr Gandhi’s message underlines the deep connection between the two leaders.

Manmohan Singh emerged as one of Rahul Gandhi’s gurus in his nascent years in Indian politics, particularly after the assassination of his father, ex-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, in May 1991.

Mr Gandhi’s sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, also posted a heartfelt message.

READ | “Few Inspired Respect…”: PGV Leads Tributes To Manmohan Singh

“Few people in politics inspire the kind of respect Sardar Manmohan Singhji did. His honesty will always be an inspiration for us, and he will forever stand tall among those who truly love this country… as someone who remained steadfast in his commitment despite being subjected to unfair and deeply personal attacks by his opponents,” the Wayanad MP said.

Few people in politics inspire the kind of respect that Sardar Manmohan Singh ji did.

His honesty will always be an inspiration for us and he will forever stand tall among those who truly love this country as someone who remained steadfast in his commitment to serve the nation… pic.twitter.com/BXA6zHG2Fq

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) December 26, 2024

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the tributes from the government and senior members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

READ | “One Of India’s Most Distinguished”: PM Modi Mourns Manmohan Singh

“India mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished leaders, Dr Manmohan Singhji. Rising from humble origins, he rose to become a respected economist. He served in various government positions as well, including as Finance Minister, leaving a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years.”

Manmohan Singh shot to prominence as the Union Finance Minister in the government headed by the late former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao.

READ | Manmohan Singh, 2-Time PM And Architect Of India’s Economic Reforms, Dies At 92

It was under Mr Singh’s stewardship that the Indian economy underwent widespread reforms, including opening up to the global market, which completely transformed the economy.

Manmohan Singh then became Prime Minister after the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance won the 2004 general election. He returned for a second term in 2014.

Mr Singh also served as a member of the Rajya Sabha till April, when he retired.

New Delhi:

Protest, counterprotests and brawls, and now a police case against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi – over Home Minister Amit Shah’s “Ambedkar is the fashion” remark – roiled Parliament Thursday, with the BJP and Congress trading allegations of each using force to prevent rivals from entering the building.

Two BJP MPs – Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput – were “seriously injured” by Rahul Gandhi, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju claimed, as the tense political stand-off rumbled on outside Makar Dawar, the Parliament’s main door. Mr Rijiju then tore into Mr Gandhi; “… how can he use force in Parliament? Under which law does he have the power to physically assault other MPs?”

And in a sarcastic quip aimed at Mr Gandhi – who holds a black belt in Aikido, a contemporary Japanese martial art – Mr Rijiju said, “Have you learnt karate, kung fu, to beat other MPs?”

“Parliament is not a wrestling arena,” he went on, declaring two of his colleagues had been injured and that he intends to visit them in hospital. Mr Rijiju also demanded an apology from Mr Gandhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, has reportedly spoken to Mr Sarangi and Mr Rajput.

“Pushed, Shoved Me”: Rahul Gandhi

Mr Gandhi, meanwhile, has responded strongly to Mr Sarangi’s claims. He told reporters it was, in fact, a group of BJP MPs who were blocking his entry into Parliament, and that they were pushing and shoving him and Congress boss Mallikarjun Kharge, and that prompted the clash.

“I was trying to go inside… but BJP MPs were trying to stop me; they pushed me away and threatened me. Yes (in response to a question about Mr Kharge) … that also happened. But we do not get affected by this jostling. This is Parliament and we have the right to go inside,” he said.

#WATCH | Delhi: MPs of INDIA Alliance climb the walls of Makar Dwar at the Parliament and protest with placards demanding an apology and resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks on Babasaheb Ambedkar in Rajya Sabha. pic.twitter.com/Bd9UAEkMKX

— ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2024

Mr Gandhi also told reporters, “This (the shoving) might be on your camera.”

“Rahul Gandhi Pushed An MP”

The injured BJP MP, Mr Sarangi, said he fell and hurt his head after a third person (unidentified at this time) fell on him. Mr Sarangi said Mr Gandhi had pushed this person who then fell on him.

#WATCH | Delhi | BJP MP Pratap Chandra Sarangi says, “Rahul Gandhi pushed an MP who fell on me after which I fell down…I was standing near the stairs when Rahul Gandhi came and pushed an MP who then fell on me…” pic.twitter.com/xhn2XOvYt4

— ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2024

“Rahul Gandhi pushed an MP who fell on me, after which I fell down…I was standing near the stairs when Rahul Gandhi came and pushed an MP who then fell on me…” he told reporters from a wheelchair and with a medical professional holding a bandage to the side of his head.

Visuals from outside Parliament then showed Mr Sarangi being taken to hospital in an ambulance.

All of this follows Mr Shah’s remarks about Dr BR Ambedkar.

Amit Shah’s “Ambedkar” Remark Row

On Monday, in concluding remarks on a two-day debate on the Constitution, Mr Shah quipped, “It has become the fashion to say ‘Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar…’ If they (the opposition) took God’s name so many times, they will get a place in heaven.”

The remark triggered a furious pushback from the opposition, with the Congress and the Samajwadi Party leading the charge, and demanding Mr Shah apologise and resign his post. Meanwhile, the Trinamool and the Congress have moved privilege motions against Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha.

READ | Congress 2nd To Move Privilege Motion Against Amit Shah

Congress boss Mallikarjun Kharge has been particularly vocal, demanding that Prime Minister Modi, “If (he) has any respect for Babasaheb Ambedkar, he should drop Shah from the Cabinet.”

READ | “If PM Respects Ambedkar…”: Congress’ Kharge Targets Amit Shah

On Wednesday evening a combative Mr Shah – A combative Amit Shah – Prime Minister Modi’s No 2 and one of the most powerful figures in the BJP – seemed to take the unusual step of publicly defending his statement, declaring his rivals had “distorted facts” after being stung by “examples of how the Constitution was attacked and wounded by the Congress (when in power)”.

READ | “Congress Anti-Ambedkar, Twisted My Words”: Amit Shah Responds

He also refused to step down, saying, “Khargeji is asking for my resignation. If it will make him happy, I will.. but it won’t end his problems. He will have to sit in the same place (the opposition) for 15 years…”

PM’s Defence Of Amit Shah

And in an even more unusual move, one perhaps underlining the impact the opposition’s attack is having on the BJP – the Prime Minister and his members of his cabinet have come out in defence.

“If the Congress and its rotten ecosystem think malicious lies can hide their misdeeds of several years, especially their insult towards Dr Ambedkar, they are gravely mistaken!” the PM said.

READ | PM Leads BJP Fightback As Opposition Ups Ante In Ambedkar Row

“People of India have seen, time and again, how one party, led by one dynasty, has indulged in every possible dirty trick to obliterate the legacy of Dr Ambedkar…” he said on X.

With input from agencies

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Prayagraj:

Pressing the demand for a nationwide “caste census”, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said 90 per cent people of the country are sitting out of the system and the step should be taken in their interest.

He also said for the Congress, the “caste census” is the foundation and a tool for policy making.

Addressing the “Samvidhan Samman Sammelan” here, Rahul Gandhi said, “90 per cent people are sitting out of the system. They have skill, knowledge but no connections (with the system). That is why we have raised the demand for a caste census.” Asserting that before ensuring the participation of various sections of the society, there is a need to ascertain their numbers, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said, “For the Congress, the caste census is the foundation of policy making. It is a tool for policy making. We cannot make policies in the reality of India without a caste census.” Rahul Gandhi said just like the Constitution, the “caste census” is a policy framework and a guide for the Congress.

“Just like our Constitution, which is a guide in a way and it is being attacked every day, a caste census, a socio-economic survey, an institutional survey will be our second guide,” he said.

“We want the data. How many Dalits, OBC (Other Backward Classes), tribals, women, minorities, general caste people are there. We are trying to protect the Constitution through this demand for a caste census,” he added.

Rahul Gandhi said the Constitution is not for the 10 per cent of the country’s population, it is for all the citizens.

“The Constitution is protected by poor people, labourers, tribals and not (industrialist Gautam) Adani. If 90 per cent people do not have participatory rights, the Constitution cannot be protected.

“Our aim is to protect the Constitution. This (the Constitution) is a protective shield for the poor, farmers and labourers. Without it, the situation would be as it used to be earlier in the times of kings and emperors, who did whatever they wanted,” he said.

The former Congress chief alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to replicate the model of kings and emperors.

“You (Modi) consider yourself non-biological. You consider yourself connected with the god. Right after the (Lok Sabha) election, you had to bow down before the Constitution. This was not done by us but by people,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi said those who think that the “caste census” can be stopped or the 50-per cent ceiling on reservation cannot be lifted are dreaming.

“This will definitely happen. It cannot be stopped. Neither the caste census nor an economic survey or an institutional survey can be prevented and the 50-per cent barrier will also fall. All of these will happen,” he said.

The Congress leader asserted that the people of the country have made up their mind in favour of a “caste census”.

“The order of the people has come. The prime minister should accept it and implement it. If he does not do so, someone else will become the prime minister,” he said.

Hitting out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre, Rahul Gandhi said ever since he joined politics in 2004, he has been “bothered and disturbed” by the leaders of the saffron party.

“I consider them (BJP leaders) as my guru, those who taught me what not to do. This is an ideological fight (with the BJP) and it will continue,” he added.

“Unlike Prime Minister Modi, I do my work considering it as my responsibility and not for others to remember me. It is Narendra Modi’s way of doing his work so that he is remembered. My thinking is that 90 per cent of the country’s power is utilised in making it,” the Congress leader said.

Rahul Gandhi recalled that he recently met a cobbler in Uttar Pradesh who told him that he does not get due respect from others and that people ridicule him.

“He has so much skill but he does not get any respect. There are thousands of people like him,” Rahul Gandhi said, stressing the need for their involvement and participation in the society.

Talking about skilled workers, such as cobblers, barbers, carpenters, washermen and others, he said, “Certification centres can be opened in all districts in which the network of these skilled workers can be utilised….” “My vision is that it should be known how much wealth is in the hands of the OBC, Dalits and labourers. What is the participation of these people in the institutions of India, be it the bureaucracy, the judiciary or the media?” he asked while claiming that 90 per cent Indians have no representation in the country’s top corporations, judiciary or media.

“The prime minister waived loans worth Rs 16 lakh crore of 25 people but no Dalit, tribal or minority-community member was there on the list,” Rahul Gandhi said.

Later, in a post on X, the Congress leader said: “The Caste Census is about building a policy framework that will deliver social justice. The Constitution promises justice and equality for every Indian. Yet, the harsh reality today is that over 90 per cent of our population is excluded from growth and opportunity.

“The 90 per cent Bahujans — Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs, minorities, and also the general caste poor — are skilled and hardworking. Excluding them from opportunities is like shutting down 9 cylinders of a 10-cylinder engine — we simply won’t get very far as a nation.” He said the “caste census” will do more than just count the population.

“Like an X-ray it will reveal who has access to wealth and assets, identify the most marginalised communities, and highlight the families lacking basic needs and opportunities. It will show us who is and isn’t represented in our nation’s institutions — whether in government, business, media, or judiciary.

“The data from this census will be crucial in designing policies to address long-standing issues. For example, the arbitrary 50 per cent cap on reservations will be revised so that representation in government and education is fair for all communities…,” Rahul Gandhi said on the microblogging platform.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi responded Monday to the BJP’s criticism of his comments on the lateral entry row, calling the concept “an attack on Dalits, OBCs, and Adivasis”. “The BJP’s distorted version of Ram Rajya seeks to destroy the Constitution and snatch reservation from Bahujans…” he said on X.

On Sunday night Mr Gandhi said “Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attacking the Constitution by recruiting public servants through Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh instead of the UPSC”.

He claimed the government is “recruiting for important posts in central government through lateral entry” and that this meant “reservation (for) SC, ST, and OBC classes being openly snatched away”.

Lateral entry is an attack on Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis.

BJP’s distorted version of Ram Rajya seeks to destroy the Constitution and snatch reservations from Bahujans.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 19, 2024

Hours later the BJP responded, reminding Mr Gandhi it was the Congress-led UPA government that introduced the concept. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was among the BJP leaders who shot back.

“INC hypocrisy is evident on the lateral entry matter. It was UPA government which developed concept of lateral entry. The second Admin Reforms Commission was established in 2005…” he said on X.

Lateral entry

INC hypocrisy is evident on lateral entry matter. It was the UPA government which developed the concept of lateral entry.

The second Admin Reforms Commission (ARC) was established in 2005 under UPA government. Shri Veerappa Moily chaired it.

UPA period ARC…

— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) August 18, 2024

Mr Gandhi wasn’t the only opposition leader to weigh in on the lateral entry row.

Akhilesh Yadav Calls For Oct 2 Protest 

On Sunday Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, whose party is a member of the Congress-led INDIA opposition bloc, called lateral entry a “big conspiracy” against the country. Like Mr Gandhi, Mr Yadav also claimed the concept robs marginalised classes of their rights, including reservations.

“The time has come to launch a nationwide movement against the conspiracy being hatched by the BJP to place its ideological allies in high government positions through the back door in UPSC. This method will close the doors for today’s officers as well as for youth to reach higher positions in the present and future. Common people will be limited to the positions of clerks and peons…” he said on X.

“Whole plan is to snatch reservations and rights from PDA,” the ex-Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said, referring to his core vote bank of ‘pichhde‘ (backward classes), Dalit, and ‘alpsankhyak‘ (minorities).

भाजपा अपनी विचारधारा के संगी-साथियों को पिछले दरवाज़े से यूपीएससी के उच्च सरकारी पदों पर बैठाने की जो साज़िश कर रही है, उसके ख़िलाफ़ एक देशव्यापी आंदोलन खड़ा करने का समय आ गया है।

ये तरीक़ा आज के अधिकारियों के साथ, युवाओं के लिए भी वर्तमान और भविष्य में उच्च पदों पर जाने का…

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) August 18, 2024

Akhilesh Yadav also called for a fierce protest on Gandhi Jayanti (i.e., October 2) to force the BJP to scrap the lateral entry concept. “Officials and youth… are requested… if the BJP government does not withdraw it, then stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us in starting a new movement from October 2. We will not tolerate corporate takeover of government machinery because of capitalist thinking…” he declared.

What Is Lateral Entry Row?

The UPSC recently announced a notification for recruiting Joint Secretaries, Directors, and Deputy Secretaries via lateral entry, which the opposition criticised on grounds it undermines the reservation rights of OBCs, SCs, and STs.

However, sources explained that the ARC had recognised that certain roles need specialised knowledge, which is not always available to civil servants, and it had recommended recruiting professionals from the private sector, academia, and public sector undertakings to fill these gaps.

READ | After Rahul Gandhi’s Attack On Lateral Entry, BJP’s “UPA” Reminder

The ARC proposed the creation of a talent pool of professionals who could be inducted, on short-term or contractual basis, bringing fresh perspectives in areas like economics, technology, and public policy.

The ARC also stressed the importance of integrating lateral entrants into the existing civil services in a manner that maintains its integrity and ethos while leveraging their specialised skills, sources said.

The scheme was formally introduced during Mr Modi’s tenure, sources said, and is driven by the need for domain experts to enhance efficiency and responsiveness of India’s administrative machinery.

In 2018 the government took a significant step by announcing vacancies for senior positions such as joint secretaries and directors, marking the first time professionals from the private and public sectors were invited to apply. The selection process was rigorous and emphasised qualifications and suitability.

With input from agencies

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New Delhi:

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi – whose scorching speech in Parliament Monday, which triggered a furious pushback from the BJP and interventions, twice, from Prime Minister Narendra Modi – wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla this morning to question the expunging of parts of that address.

Mr Gandhi acknowledged the Speaker’s authority to “expunge certain remarks” but argued this power ought only to be exercised to strike out “those kinds of words… the nature of which have been specified in Rule 380 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha”.

“I am, however, shocked to note the manner in which considerable portions of my speech have been simply taken off from the proceedings under the garb of expunction. I am enclosing relevant portions of uncorrected Debates of Lok Sabha dated July 2… constrained to state the portions expunged do not come under the ambit of Rule 380,” the Congress leader told Mr Birla.

“What I sought to convey in the House is ground reality… the factual position… every member of the House who personifies the collective voice of the people whom he or she represents has freedom of speech…. it is every member’s right to raise people’s concerns on the floor of the House.”

“I am writing this in the context of remarks and portions expunged from my speech during discussion on Motion of Thanks on the President Address on 1 July 2024.”

Here is LoP Shri @RahulGandhi‘s letter to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. pic.twitter.com/3Cepk0TtMy

— Congress (@INCIndia) July 2, 2024

“It is that right… I was exercising yesterday. Taking off from records my considered remarks goes against the very tenets of parliamentary democracy,” Mr Gandhi wrote.

The Congress leader also flagged a speech by Union Minister Anurag Thakur, which he said was “full of allegations” had only seen one word removed. “… This selective expunction defies logic,” he said.

“Lie And If You Get Fact-Checked…”

BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla has responded to Rahul Gandhi’s letter, accusing the Congress MP of playing the “victim card” and claiming “crores of Hindus are violent”.

#WATCH | Delhi: On Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla says, “There is a new trend in Rahul Gandhi’s world. Lie, and if you get fact-checked, play the victim card… Congress Party is writing letters and saying out loud… pic.twitter.com/vUEpLXMSGd

— ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2024

“There is a new trend in Rahul Gandhi’s world. Lie, and if you get fact-checked, play victim card. The Congress is writing letters and saying out loud ‘Hindus are violent’. They are standing with this statement. They are saying crores of Hindus are ‘violent. This is that section which cannot speak ‘Islamist terror’… but they speak (of) ‘Hindu terror’… ” Mr Poonawalla raged.

Rahul Gandhi’s Parliament Speech

Sections of Mr Gandhi’s first speech as the Leader of the Opposition were struck down this morning, including comments about Mr Modi and the BJP, and the latter’s ideological mentor, the RSS.

READ | To Rahul Gandhi’s Jab At BJP, A Response From RSS

Comments about alleged irregularities in the NEET medical entrance tests and the Agnipath military recruitment scheme (he was fact-checked by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh) were also removed.

READ | BJP Alleges Rahul Insulted Hindus, Parts Of Speech Expunged

Among other points raised, Mr Gandhi had demanded an immediate debate on the NEET row.

Mr Gandhi’s no-holds-barred jabs provoked Mr Modi – who does not usually intervene when an opposition leader is speaking in Parliament – to stand up twice.

BJP Hits Back At Rahul Gandhi

The BJP’s immediate fightback also included Home Minister Amit Shah demanding an apology, while his cabinet colleagues Kiren Rijiju and Ashwini Vaishnaw led a considered rebuttal in the evening.

READ | 2 Ministers, MP Lead Fightback Against Rahul Gandhi’s Speech

Mr Vaishnaw and Mr Rijiju, and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi, accused Mr Gandhi of belittling his post and of making an “extremely irresponsible speech” that inflicted a “grave insult” on Hindus.

Mr Modi is due to respond to Rahul Gandhi’s speech; he will speak in the Lok Sabha this evening and is expected to address the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

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Pune:

A court here on Thursday issued an order directing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to appear before it in a complaint filed by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s grandnephew accusing him of defaming the Hindutva ideologue, the petitioner’s lawyer claimed.

While Rahul Gandhi was not represented by any lawyer during the hearing, the detailed order was yet to be made available.

The order was passed by judicial magistrate (first class) Akshi Jain.

It came two days after Pune police stated in a report that there was prima facie truth in the complaint filed Satyaki Savarkar who alleged that the Congress leader defamed the late freedom fighter in a speech made in London in 2023.

The order stated that the next hearing would be on August 19, 2024, and the stage was “appearance”.

Advocate Sangram Kolhatkar, lawyer of Satyaki Savarkar, claimed that the judge had asked Rahul Gandhi to appear before the court on that date.

It was not clear immediately if the Congress leader was expected to be present, or can appear through his lawyer.

As per the complaint, Rahul Gandhi claimed in his speech that V D Savarkar had written in a book that he and his friends once beat up a Muslim man, and Savarkar felt happy.

Satyaki Savarkar claimed that no such incident had ever taken place, and V D Savarkar never wrote any such thing anywhere.

He filed a complaint under Indian Penal Code sections 499 and 500 (defamation), following which the court asked the Vishrambaug police station to verify the proof submitted by Satyaki Savarkar and submit a report.

As per advocate Kolhatkar, the police stated in their report, submitted on Monday, that V D Savarkar was not found to have written about any such incident anywhere, and yet Rahul Gandhi made the claim in his speech.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday responded to criticism by Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his use of the word ‘shakti‘ – a reference to the feminine divine energy – when describing the opposition’s bid to defeat the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the April/May Lok Sabha election.

The PM and the BJP had accused Mr Gandhi and the opposition, including the Congress-led INDIA bloc, of wanting to destroy ‘shakti‘, and extended the comment to “…denying the existence of Lord Ram”. “I accept their challenge. I will sacrifice my life,” the PM said in Telangana’s Jagtial.

Mr Gandhi then counter-accused the PM of “always trying to change the meaning of my words by twisting them in some way or the other”, and said he had spoken about a “power (or ‘shakti‘) that has captured institutions, media, industry, and the entire constitutional structure of India”.

“… he (PM Modi) knows I have spoken a deep truth. The power that I mentioned, the power that we are fighting… the mask of that power is Modiji. This is such a power that has captured institutions… the Central Bureau of Investigation, the Enforcement Directorate, the Income Tax Department, the Election Commission, the media, and the entire constitutional structure of India,” he declared.

मोदी जी को मेरी बातें अच्छी नहीं लगतीं, किसी न किसी तरह उन्हें घुमाकर वह उनका अर्थ हमेशा बदलने की कोशिश करते हैं क्योंकि वह जानते हैं कि मैंने एक गहरी सच्चाई बोली है।

जिस शक्ति का मैंने उल्लेख किया, जिस शक्ति से हम लड़ रहे हैं, उस शक्ति का मुखौटा मोदी जी हैं।

वह एक ऐसी शक्ति…

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 18, 2024

“I recognise that power… Modiji also recognises that power. This is not religious power. It is the power of corruption and falsehood. And this is why, whenever I raise my voice against him, Modiji gets upset and enraged,” Mr Gandhi thundered at a ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ event in Mumbai.

READ | “Misogynistic”: Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Shakti’ Remark Rally Sparks Row

Mr Gandhi was seen as referring to claims by the opposition that the BJP uses central agencies, like the CBI, ED and Income Tax Department, to target and intimidate rivals, particularly before an election.

Mr Gandhi also spoke about a “senior (Maharashtra political) leader” who quit the Congress.

“Weeping… he told my mother (Congress matriarch Sonia Gandhi), ‘Soniaji, I’m ashamed to say, I do not have the power to fight this people, this force. I do not want to go to jail’.”

The “senior leader” was seen by many to be ex-Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who last month swapped the Congress for the BJP, and got a Rajya Sabha nomination, within 48 hours. Mr Chavan this morning, however, issued a statement refusing talk Mr Gandhi was referring to him.

READ | Ashok Chavan On Rahul’s “Weeping Senior Leader Who Quit” Jab

Mr Chavan has three cases pending against him; two are linked to the 2010 Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society scam, which led to his resignation as Chief Minister.

In a response on X (formerly Twitter), Mr Gandhi also said the PM had waived loans worth thousands of crores while farmers commit suicide over repay debts of a few thousands.

The Congress leader also referred to earlier “crony capitalism” attacks on the Prime Minister and the BJP, and claimed Mr Modi had “auctioned the country’s property to increase that power” while poor Indians live in poverty and suffer through an ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

The Prime Minister wasn’t the only BJP figure to lash out at Mr Gandhi; BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused the Congress MP of expressing “misogynistic” views.

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