Rahul Gandhi during the intolerance debate in the Lok Sabha.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi speaking on the second day of 'intolerance' debate in the Lok Sabha, attacked the government and blamed the BJP ministers of trampling on the freedom of speech of people. He said the government must not learn the 'wrong lesson' and 'learn to be tolerant'.
Here are the highlights of his speech:- I listened to the PM talk about our constitution a few days ago in the parliament. He mentioned Gandhiji, he praised Ambedkarji, he spoke about the contribution of Rajendra Prasadji & Sardar Vallabhai Patelji.
- He even had a couple of words for Jawaharlal Nehru.While I listened to the PM's speech, I could see how profoundly we differ in our thinking.
- For Modiji the people he mentioned were intellectual heroes to be worshipped & placed on a pedestal. They had all the answers to India's problem.
- For me what was heroic about the people he mentioned was their ability to listen to the people of this country.
- They are my heroes not because they had all the answers but because they had the humility to ask the right questions.
- For me the real authors of the constitution were people the PM did not spend much time on in his speech. They are the people of this country.
- Dabolkarji, Pansareji and Kalburgiji are shot dead in cold blood and the Prime Minister has nothing to say.
- Government talks of Skill India, Modiji talks of Skill India, but when students of FTII with excellent skills complain about a mediocre man, the government tries to crush them. They crushed their voice. All they wanted was for you to listen to them.
- Mohd Akhlaq, father of a young Air Force man Mohd Sartaj who is serving our nation, is killed in cold blood just because he is a Muslim.
- His message for all of us after his father's brutal murder, was: Saare Jahan se accha Hindustan Hamara, Majhab Nahi Sikhata Aapas Mai Bair Rakhna
- The best writers, intellectuals of this country return their awards as a sign of protest. The government does not even listen to them.
- Arun Jaitley says it's a manufactured protest. My Jaitley, it is not a dream like your 'Make in India', it is reality. You should listen to them.
- India is successful because we have given people the space to speak. Madam Speaker, this is our tolerance.
- Let us not learn the wrong lesson, I request the government. Please be tolerant. Listen to your people, embrace them.
- Prime Minister does not see the contradiction. Will the Prime Minister sit back, while his colleagues trample on the freedom of speech?