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.)

Sultanpur (UP):

Ram Chet, a cobbler in Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur, is no longer just another man stitching torn sandals and polishing leather shoes on the roadside. He is now the man in demand, people are coming to his makeshift shop to click selfies, officials are asking him if all is well and passers-by are stopping their cars to greet him. All thanks to a visit by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

In Sultanpur to attend a court hearing in a defamation case, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha stopped by Ram Chet’s shop. During this brief halt, Mr Gandhi asked the cobbler about his trade and also tried his hand at mending shoes. Visuals of him trying to stitch a sandal had gone viral. A day later, Mr Ram Chet got a sewing machine from the Congress leader. This machine makes it easier to stitch shoes and will help Mr Ram Chet in his work.

The cobbler said his life has changed after the Congress leader’s visit. “People are stopping their bikes, cars and calling out to me. He has given me a lot of respect,” Mr Ram Chet said.

The cobbler is getting huge offers for the footwear Mr Gandhi stitched that day, with one caller offering as much as Rs 10 lakh. “The offers are becoming bigger. They started with Rs 5 lakh and have now gone up to Rs 10 lakh. One caller offered me bags full of cash, but I refused. I won’t sell them,” he said. While responding to a reporter’s questions, the cobbler jokes, “Rahul Gandhi is my partner. We run the shop in partnership.”

Mr Ram Chet said he won’t return the footwear to the person it belongs to either. “I will pay him the price of the sandals.” 

Recounting his conversation with the Congress leader, Mr Ram Chet said Mr Gandhi asked him about his work. “He asked me how shoes are pasted, I showed him and he did it.”

Mr Ram Chet lives in a makeshift hut that has no power supply. Officials have started making the rounds of his shanty since his photograph with Mr Gandhi circulated on social media. “People from the administration are now coming and asking me about my problems. They never came before.”

The cobbler’s run-down accommodation doesn’t have power supply. Asked how he will use the sewing machine in the dark, he told news agency PTI, “My son’s home has electricity supply. I will keep the machine at his place and do the sewing work.”

Raghuram, the cobbler’s son, told ANI that they were delighted to meet the Congress leader. “He treated us with respect and dignity. He asked me why I am not in this profession anymore. I told him that when I worked as a cobbler, people did not respect me. So I left the profession. I work as a labourer now,” he said.

New Delhi:

Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP, Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday sent a shoe stitching machine to the cobbler he had met the previous day in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

“Yesterday, our leader Rahul Gandhi met cobbler Ram Chait in Sultanpur (UP) and learned about the details of his work. To support him, Rahul Gandhi has sent a shoe-stitching machine, which will ease his work. This gesture exemplifies Rahul Gandhi’s dedication as a leader for the people, truly a leader for everyone,” Congress wrote on X.

जननायक राहुल गांधी जी कल सुल्तानपुर (UP) में मोची रामचैत जी से मिले थे, उनके काम की बारीकियों को समझा था।

अब उनके लिए जूते सिलने की मशीन भिजवाई है, जिससे रामचैत जी को जूते की सिलाई में आसानी होगी।

ऐसे हैं आपके राहुल, जन-जन के राहुल pic.twitter.com/wEQNMneZdB

— Congress (@INCIndia) July 27, 2024

The cobbler Chait Ram received a phone call in the morning notifying him that Rahul Gandhi had sent a shoe-stitching machine for him.

In the afternoon, members of Rahul Gandhi’s team arrived at the cobbler’s workshop in a police jeep to deliver the machine.

Overjoyed, Chait Ram sent two pairs of shoes to Rahul Gandhi as a gesture of thanks, according to media reports. Additionally, some experts from the team provided Chait Ram with a briefing on how to operate the machine.

On Friday, Rahul Gandhi engaged with the cobbler in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, as part of his visit related to a defamation case. The Congress MP, who was there for legal proceedings, took the opportunity to learn about the cobbler’s trade and skills.

Ram Chait, has been making footwear for over 40 years from his makeshift shop. A video of their interaction circulated online, earning praise from netizens for Rahul Gandhi’s thoughtful gesture.

This visit follows another similar event on May 15, when Rahul Gandhi visited a barber shop in Raebareli for a haircut and beard trim, inquiring about the latest haircut trends.

Last September ,Rahul Gandhi made headlines for his unannounced visit to the Anand Vihar Inter State Bus Terminal (ISBT) in New Delhi, where he donned a coolie uniform and carried luggage on his head.

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

Rahul Gandhi, who had to vacate his official bungalow after being disqualified from Lok Sabha last year, is now being offered a new bungalow, sources have told NDTV.

The 54-year-old Mr Gandhi is the leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, a constitutional post. This is also the first time since 2014 that there is a leader of Opposition.  

The House Committee has offered the Congress leader Bungalow No 5, Sunehri Bagh Road, sources said. He is entitled to a Type 8 bungalow as he holds the rank of a Cabinet minister.

The buzz gained ground after Mr Gandhi’s sister, Priyanka, visited Bungalow No 5 at Sunehri Bagh Road.

A response is awaited from the Congress leader, who has been staying at 10, Janpath residence of his mother Sonia Gandhi. He has been living there even after his disqualification was revoked.

Mr Gandhi, who first became an MP in 2004, had been living at 12, Tughlaq Lane until his disqualification last year.
 

New Delhi:

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has paid tribute to the four soldiers killed on Monday in an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda. “Today, our soldiers were martyred in another terrorist encounter in Jammu and Kashmir. I pay my humble tribute to the martyrs and express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families,” he posted in Hindi on X Tuesday morning.

Mr Gandhi, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said the number of such attacks on Indian soldiers in J&K in the past few months is “extremely sad and worrying”.

He also hit out at the government for the “poor condition of Jammu and Kashmir” and said the soldiers there are “bearing the brunt of the BJP’s wrong policies”. The “wrong policies” reference has been seen as an attack on the Modi government over the scrapping of Article 370 in J&K.

“It is the demand of every patriotic Indian that the government should take full responsibility for repeated security lapses,” Mr Gandhi said and called for “strict action” against the terrorists.

आज जम्मू कश्मीर में फिर से एक आतंकी मुठभेड़ में हमारे जवान शहीद हो गए। शहीदों को विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि अर्पित करते हुए शोक संतप्त परिजनों को गहरी संवेदनाएं व्यक्त करता हूं।

एक के बाद एक ऐसी भयानक घटनाएं बेहद दुखद और चिंताजनक है।

लगातार हो रहे ये आतंकी हमले जम्मू कश्मीर की जर्जर…

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 16, 2024

However, Mr Gandhi also underlined the need for political unity at this time, and the importance of the opposition supporting the government as it responds to the increased terror threat.

“In this hour of grief, the entire country stands united against terrorism,” he said.

Four soldiers, including an officer, were killed in action in Doda district. The terrorists had attacked a joint operation – of the Army and J&K Police – formed to track them down.

READ | 4 Soldiers Killed In Action In Encounter With Terrorists In J&K’s Doda

Contact was made late Monday night, the Army had said.

The operation is ongoing, NDTV has been told.

Sources told NDTV Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi and took stock of the ground situation and ongoing operation in Doda.

This was the second major encounter in the Jammu region after five soldiers were killed in action in Kathua last week. That attack, in which five were also injured, was a coordinated strike on two trucks – with grenades and armour-piercing bullets, and an American-made assault rifle.

READ | Kathua Terror Attack On 2 Trucks, Armour-Piercing Bullets Used

The attacks, which began in Poonch and Rajouri, have now spread across Jammu, a region that was free from terrorism till a few years ago. In the last 32 months, 48 soldiers have been killed.

Earlier this month Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Parliament the fight against terrorism in J&K is in its last stage, and that a multi-pronged strategy had been adopted to destroy the remaining network. “Our fight against terrorism in J&K, in a way, is in last stage, last leg. We are moving with a multi-pronged strategy to eliminate the remaining terror network there,” he said.

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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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New Delhi:
After Rahul Gandhi’s fiery speech in Parliament yesterday, in which he launched a scathing attack on BJP – large portions of which have been expunged from official records – the stage is set for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s anticipated response

Here are 10 points on this big story:

New Delhi:

As the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will participate in the appointment process for key officials such as the CBI director, the Chief Election Commissioners, National Human Rights Commission chairperson and the Chief Vigilance Commissioner.

Mr Gandhi today took over as Leader of the Opposition in the lower House — a position that was vacant for the past 10 years because no Opposition party met the minimum strength criterion for the post. In the past two Lok Sabhas, Congress’s Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury were leaders of the Congress in the House.

On the selection panels for most of these appointments, the government has a 2-1 advantage, as it comprises the Prime Minister and a Union Minister. But as Leader of the Opposition, Mr Gandhi will have a say. 

The 54-year-old leader is the third member of the Gandhi family to become the Leader of the Opposition. His father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was Leader of the Opposition fron 1989-90 when the VP Singh government was in power. His mother and former UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi occupied the post from 1999-2004 when the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government was in power.

As a Leader of the Opposition, Mr Gandhi will enjoy the rank of a cabinet minister and get an office and staff in the Parliament building.

In his first House appearance in his new role, Mr Gandhi switched to a white kurta-pajama combo, dissing the white t-shirt-trouser look he is usually seen in. In a rare moment of bonhomie between the Opposition and the treasury benches, Mr Gandhi walked up to Mr Birla and congratulated him. He also shook Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hand and the two leaders, along with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, escorted the Speaker to his chair.

Addressing the House, Mr Gandhi congratulated Mr Birla on his election, but also sent across a message from the Opposition. He said the Lok Sabha Speaker is the final arbiter of the voice of the people, and the Opposition this time represents that voice significantly more than the last time.

“The Opposition would like to assist you in doing your work. We would like the House to function. It is very important that cooperation happens on the basis of trust. It is very important that the voice of the Opposition is allowed to be represented in this House.”

“The question is not how efficiently the House is run. The question is how much of India’s voice is being allowed to be heard. So the idea that you can run the House efficiently by silencing the voice of the Opposition is a non-democratic idea. And this election has shown that the people of India expect the Opposition to defend the Constitution,” he said.

“We are confident that by allowing the Opposition to speak, you will do your duty of defending the Constitution,” Mr Gandhi said.

The Congress leader was elected from two seats this time — Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh and Wayanad in Kerala. He has vacated the Kerala seat, and his sister and Congress colleague Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will contest the bypoll that follows. 

Mr Gandhi’s return to the House and his elevation as the Leader of the Opposition is also significant against the backdrop of his disqualification as a Lok Sabha MP last year following a conviction in a defamation case. He returned to the House after the Supreme Court paused the conviction.  

New Delhi:

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi pulled no punches at an event in France on Sunday, declaring that the Bharatiya Janata Party and its ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, “have nothing to do with Hinduism” and that “there is nothing Hindu about what the BJP does…”

“I have read the Gita, a number of the Upanishads and many Hindu books… absolutely nothing Hindu about it (the BJP)… I have not read anywhere in any Hindu book, or heard from any learned Hindu person, that you should terrorise or harm people weaker than you.”

“This idea… this word – ‘Hindu nationalist’ – this is a wrong word. They are not ‘Hindu nationalists’… they have nothing to do with Hinduism,” Mr Gandhi emphasised.

I have read the Gita, Upanishads and many Hindu books. There is nothing Hindu about what the BJP does—absolutely nothing.

I have not read anywhere in any Hindu book or heard from any learned Hindu person that you should terrorize or harm people who are weaker than you.

They… pic.twitter.com/mEj2vOrAxq

— Congress (@INCIndia) September 10, 2023

Interacting with students at Paris’ Sciences PO University, he ripped into the government, which has been widely criticised for suppressing opposition leaders’ voices within the country, accusing them of being “out to gain power at any cost”.

“They (BJP and RSS) have nothing to do with Hinduism. They are out to gain power at any cost… and will do anything to ensure the caste structure and social structure of my country is not threatened,” he said.

“They seek the dominance of a few… that is what they are about.”

Mr Gandhi’s comments came after a question about the “scary radicalisation of youth by Hindutva forces”. This is not the first time he has attacked the BJP on this topic. In 2021, he called them “fake Hindus” who “use” religion for their benefit.

READ | BJP, RSS Are “Fake Hindus”, They “Use” Religion, Says Congress’s Rahul Gandhi

The jabs invited a predictably furious response with BJP Lok Sabha MP Tejasvi Surya taunting his rival for “crying… while Bharat achieves global consensus” – a reference to the “100 per cent” declaration from the weekend’s G20 meet.

READ | G20 Pact Unveiled, “100% Consensus”, Including On Ukraine: 10 Points

The very fact Rahul Gandhi thinks Hinduism is practiced by referring to ‘books’ shows how shallow his understanding of our dharma,” Mr Surya gloated on X (formerly Twitter).

The very fact that Rahul Gandhi thinks that Hinduism is practiced by referring to ‘books’ shows how shallow his understanding of our dharma.

That he has been reduced to crying before a handful of people in some far away European city while Bharat is achieving global consensus… https://t.co/TZk2VmmC6w

— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) September 10, 2023

“That he has been reduced to crying before a handful of people in some far away European city, while Bharat is achieving global consensus at G20, is telling of how the nation has rejected his brand of politics in the last decade,” he declared.

And Then The ‘Sanatan Dharm’ Row

Mr Gandhi’s jabs also come amid a fight over Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comment about ‘Sanatan Dharm’, which the BJP and right-wing commentators have claimed is a “call for the genocide of people with Sanatan thoughts”.

Earlier this month Mr Stalin said, “Sanatana (Dharma) ought to be eradicated like malaria, dengue and mosquito…”

An apoplectic BJP hit back, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several members of his cabinet and party targeting him. Mr Stalin was even the target of a Rs 10 crore bounty allegedly issued by a temple priest in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya.

READ | “Even As We Launch Chandrayaan”: MK Stalin Defends Son In “Sanatan Dharma” Row

Mr Gandhi has not, so far, responded directly to this controversy, although his party has, flip-flopping between support and criticism. Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge disavowed any religion that does not treat all people as equals. However, Congress boss Mallikarjun Kharge, his father, seemed to want distance, declaring “there is no need to mix religion, politics”.

New Delhi:

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party and its ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Sunday, declaring neither “have nothing to do with Hinduism” and that “there is nothing Hindu about what the BJP does…”. Mr Gandhi was at an event in France on Sunday, when he said, “I have read the Gita, a number of the Upanishads and many Hindu books… absolutely nothing Hindu about it (the BJP)… “

“I have not read anywhere in any Hindu book, or heard from any learned Hindu person, that you should terrorise or harm people weaker than you. This idea… this word – ‘Hindu nationalist’ – this is a wrong word. They are not ‘Hindu nationalists’… they have nothing to do with Hinduism,” Mr Gandhi emphasised.

I have read the Gita, Upanishads and many Hindu books. There is nothing Hindu about what the BJP does—absolutely nothing.

I have not read anywhere in any Hindu book or heard from any learned Hindu person that you should terrorize or harm people who are weaker than you.

They… pic.twitter.com/mEj2vOrAxq

— Congress (@INCIndia) September 10, 2023

Interacting with students at Paris’ Sciences PO University, he ripped into the government, which has been widely criticised for suppressing opposition leaders’ voices within the country, accusing them of being “out to gain power at any cost”.

“They (BJP and RSS) have nothing to do with Hinduism. They are out to gain power at any cost… and will do anything to ensure the caste structure and social structure of my country is not threatened,” he said.

“They seek the dominance of a few… that is what they are about.”

Mr Gandhi’s comments came after a question about the “scary radicalisation of youth by Hindutva forces”. This is not the first time he has attacked the BJP on this topic. In 2021, he called them “fake Hindus” who “use” religion for their benefit.

READ | BJP, RSS Are “Fake Hindus”, They “Use” Religion, Says Congress’s Rahul Gandhi

The jabs invited a predictably furious response with BJP Lok Sabha MP Tejasvi Surya taunting his rival for “crying… while Bharat achieves global consensus” – a reference to the “100 per cent” declaration from the weekend’s G20 meet.

READ | G20 Pact Unveiled, “100% Consensus”, Including On Ukraine: 10 Points

The very fact Rahul Gandhi thinks Hinduism is practiced by referring to ‘books’ shows how shallow his understanding of our dharma,” Mr Surya gloated on X (formerly Twitter).

The very fact that Rahul Gandhi thinks that Hinduism is practiced by referring to ‘books’ shows how shallow his understanding of our dharma.

That he has been reduced to crying before a handful of people in some far away European city while Bharat is achieving global consensus… https://t.co/TZk2VmmC6w

— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) September 10, 2023

“That he has been reduced to crying before a handful of people in some far away European city, while Bharat is achieving global consensus at G20, is telling of how the nation has rejected his brand of politics in the last decade,” he declared.

And Then The ‘Sanatan Dharm’ Row

Mr Gandhi’s jabs also come amid a fight over Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s comment about ‘Sanatan Dharm’, which the BJP and right-wing commentators have claimed is a “call for the genocide of people with Sanatan thoughts”.

Earlier this month Mr Stalin said, “Sanatana (Dharma) ought to be eradicated like malaria, dengue and mosquito…”

An apoplectic BJP hit back, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several members of his cabinet and party targeting him. Mr Stalin was even the target of a Rs 10 crore bounty allegedly issued by a temple priest in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya.

READ | “Even As We Launch Chandrayaan”: MK Stalin Defends Son In “Sanatan Dharma” Row

Mr Gandhi has not, so far, responded directly to this controversy, although his party has, flip-flopping between support and criticism. Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge disavowed any religion that does not treat all people as equals. However, Congress boss Mallikarjun Kharge, his father, seemed to want distance, declaring “there is no need to mix religion, politics”.