Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of spreading hatred and making people fight among themselves, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that although the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) want only one ideology to rule in the country, it can never happen.
Addressing a function in Science College ground in Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur, Mr Gandhi attacked the BJP saying the party and its ideology are pushing India towards a dangerous path and added that division of the country is the biggest threat posed by that party.
He said the BJP's criticism of what the country has achieved in 70 years under the Congress rule is an insult of farmers, labourers and not of the Congress.
"This country is like a bouquet and people of different ideologies live in it. The ideology, history and culture in one state is different from that of another. But if we say that there will be only one ideology in the whole country then it will be wrong. This will harm the country," the Congress MP said.
"The BJP and RSS want that only one ideology should rule over all states, languages and history in the country, which can never happen. For example, people of other states cannot tell what the culture of Chhattisgarh should be and how people should live here. Everyone has own his or her own rights. This bouquet of our country has feelings of different thinking, different ideologies and language of love. That is what we call Hindustan. The BJP has been attacking this India. We will oppose this attack," he said.
Mr Gandhi accused the BJP of spreading hatred in the country and making one religion fight with another.
"They have spread hatred in the country. They are making one state fight with another and one religion with another. The powers outside India look at us and say that India is getting weak. The Chinese army could enter Ladakh (referring to the Galwan valley incident) because the BJP and our Prime Minister told after their entry into our territory that no one has entered," he said.
"Our work and the work of patriotism is to strengthen the country, poor and unite the country, not to spread hatred. So it is a battle of ideology. This is not a fight between one party and the other," he said.
"Yesterday, I said in Lok Sabha that there are 2-3 big challenges in front of India. BJP and its ideology are taking our country towards danger… the biggest threat is that today the BJP has been dividing the country into two India," he said.
One country is of selected billionaires, where there is everything including wealth and technology. The second one is of crores of our dear countrymen. They think that by making two countries, the country which belongs to the poor is powerless and will remain calm. They think the poor of the country are afraid. But the poor of the country are not afraid of anyone, rather they are the ones who have built the country, he said.
"If someone has taken India to this point and ensured the progress, it is not any party, but the farmers, labourers and the poor. So when it is asked what has happened in 70 years, it is an insult to farmers, their parents, labourers and small businessmen not to the Congress party," he added.
Today, a few rich people have most of the money in the country. On one hand people die of hunger, on the other, capitalists friend of (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi flourish, he said.
We will not allow it to happen if there is progress in this country - then everyone will progress, not just some industrialists. We will not allow such India to happen. If there is progress in the country, then everyone will benefit, he added.
Mr Gandhi praised the Chhattisgarh government and said it is fulfilling its promises.
On the occasion, he launched the state government's 'Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Bhoomihin Krishi Majdoor Nyay Yojana', under which landless labourers in rural areas will be given financial assistance of Rs 6,000 per year in three installments.
The first installment of Rs 2,000 was deposited into the accounts of nearly 3.55 lakh landless families of labourers, barbers, blacksmiths, priests, forest produce collectors and shepherds, among others, on the occasion under the scheme.
He also also laid lays foundation stone of a memorial with an eternal flame, named 'Chhattisgarh Amar Jawan Jyoti', to be built in Mana Camp area here for soldiers and security personnel martyred in the line of duty as well as of 'Gandhi Sevagram' ashram to be built in Nava Raipur, similar to the one in Wardha (Maharashtra).
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
