Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha and a Congress leader, gave a stirring speech on Monday, July 1. In Parliament, his speech caused a stir and drew Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s condemnation. PM Modi said, “Calling the entire Hindu community violent is a very serious matter.”
Rahul Gandhi’s Strong Statements on Hindus
In his address, Rahul Gandhi emphasised the symbol of Congress, “Abhayamudra,” which represents fearlessness and reassurance. He stated, “Abhayamudra is a symbol of Congress. It stands for fearlessness, reassurance, and safety, dispelling fear and providing divine protection in Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism, and other Indian religions. Our great leaders have always promoted non-violence and ending fear. However, those who claim to be Hindu only speak of violence, hatred, and untruth. You are not truly Hindu.”
Criticism of the Agniveer Scheme
Gandhi also criticised the Agniveer scheme, pointing out the government’s creation of two types of jawans—those who receive pensions and those who do not. “Agniveer is a use-and-throw labour. One jawan gets a pension, while another does not. You are creating a divide between jawans,” he asserted in Parliament.
Addressing the Manipur Conflict
Further, Gandhi attacked the BJP over the ongoing strife in Manipur, sharing a poignant story of a woman who witnessed a relative being shot. He said, “Despite our criticisms and urges, the prime minister has not stepped in Manipur. It is as if the state does not belong to India; the home minister has not gone to Manipur either.”
Following Gandhi’s remarks, Home Minister Amit Shah demanded an apology from him, stating that his comments were controversial and inappropriate.
Support from Alliance Partners
Rahul Gandhi’s speech has gained significant traction among alliance partners, who have come forward to defend him against BJP’s demand for an apology.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi questioned, “What should he apologise for? For raising the people’s issues in Parliament, or for expressing the youth’s anger on the Agniveer scheme, or for unemployment, or for raising the Manipur issue, or for exposing the BJP? Rahul Gandhi has said that Narendra Modi, BJP, and RSS are not the only Hindus or the protectors of Hindus.”
Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Awadhesh Prasad clarified, “He did not say anything about Hindus. He talked about the mindset of BJP, the mindset and ideology of RSS. His statement was not for Hindus, it was for the people of BJP, RSS.”
AAP MP Raghav Chadha noted, “I was in Rajya Sabha, I have not heard his statement in Lok Sabha but it is being discussed a lot and people are praising him a lot.”
Congress MP Rajeev Shukla added, “It is very clear that Rahul Gandhi did not say anything about Hindus. He said that the people of BJP, you call yourself Hindus but you do not follow Hinduism. We are all Hindus, we follow Hinduism. What Lord Shiv said, we follow it and you do not follow it, you do violence, you spread hatred. This is what he is saying to the people of BJP.”
RJD MP Manoj Jha remarked, “This should not be called an attack. There is a debate going on in the parliament as well. The debate will get heated sometimes. This is an ideological debate and what he (Rahul Gandhi) said should be understood by everyone.”
Rahul Gandhi’s speech has indeed stirred the political arena, drawing both criticism and support, highlighting the deep ideological divides within the Indian political landscape.
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