‘BJP Guided By RSS Has A Long-Term Plan To Destroy India’s Culture’

"You fight against the ideology of the RSS on the streets, in villages, and everywhere. You are the defenders," Rahul Gandhi told the Congress workers

On Tuesday, October 17, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the BJP, guided by the RSS, has a long-term plan to destroy Indian language, culture and tradition. He also urged the people of Mizoram to reject the saffron party in the upcoming November 7 assembly election.

The Congress leader, while addressing a poll rally in Lunglei, said that the BJP knows that if comes to the people of Mizoram directly, they will reject them. That is why, they are trying to enter the state through the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF).

On the second day of his two-day campaign in the northeastern state, Rahul Gandhi also said that the opposition Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) is helping the BJP in its attempt to enter the state.

Rahul Gandhi stated, “I am less interested in telling my ‘Mann-Ki-Baat’ but I am keen to listen to your ‘Mann-Ki-Baat.’ Your religion, culture and language are real assets of India. Diversity of religion and culture are India’s traditions which the BJP is trying to destroy.”

In an address to the gathering, he said, “The Central government is controlled by the RSS. Modi, Amit Shah and the Central government have been trying to control all the states, all institutions and people of India. We defeated the BJP in Karnataka. We will defeat the BJP in Telangana. We will decimate the BJP in Madhya Pradesh. We will defeat the BJP in the Chhattisgarh election. We defeated the BJP in Rajasthan last time, and this time, we will defeat them again. We plan to do the same in the northeast.”

While promising a scheme that will ensure economic empowerment for entrepreneurs, the Congress leader said that under the scheme, direct banking support would be provided to small and medium-scale entrepreneurs.

Gandhi said that a flawed GST and demonetisation policy had made it difficult for the economy of Mizoram to progress. He added that rampant unemployment had caused the drug menace to go out of control in the region.

Gandhi, who is the Lok Sabha member from Kerala’s Wayanad constituency, promised old-age pension of Rs 2,000 for the elderly and cooking gas at Rs 750 per cylinder against the existing Rs 1,000.

The erstwhile Congress president highlighted Rs 25 lakh insurance cover in Rajasthan, small and medium entrepreneurs’ schemes in Chhattisgarh and five social security schemes in Karnataka.

He said further, “It’s always a pleasure to come to Mizoram. It brings back old memories of when I first came here in 1986 at the age of 16. At that time, Mizoram was transitioning from violence to peace. You achieved statehood in 1987. So it’s been quite a long journey. Any progress is built on peace and harmony.”

Gandhi said that while the elderly of Mizoram know the cost of strife, the young generations do not have any experience of violence in the state. He also said that the present infrastructure in Mizoram is very poor. The Lok Sabha member said that during the Congress governments at the Centre and the state, the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Zoram Medical College were set up, the Lengpui airport was constructed and new land use policies for the benefit of the farmers were initiated.

Rahul Gandhi, while referring to the ethnic violence in neighbouring Manipur, said that hundreds of people, including women and children were killed, countless number of women were raped. Yet, the Prime Minister remained silent and avoided visiting the state, which has been burning for over five months. He said, “The Prime Minister’s attitude is as if Manipur is not a part of India and he (PM) has no time to visit the crisis-ridden state”.