Oust Hindutvawadis from power, bring back 'Hindus', Rahul Gandhi tells Congress rally in Jaipur

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said India is a country of Hindus and not Hindutvawadis, and called for their ouster so that Hindus can run it again.

Addressing a rally that was also attended by party president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, he accused Hindutvawadi Prime Minister Narendra Modi of backstabbing farmers and favouring a handful of industrialists.

"This is a country of Hindus, not Hindutvawadis, he said at the meeting, a show of strength here just months ahead of assembly elections in some key states including Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

"Hindutvadis have to be ousted once again and the rule of Hindus brought about in the country," he told a packed stadium.

"I am a Hindu and not a Hindutvawadi. In our country's politics today, the meaning of Hindu and Hindutva are being wrongly portrayed as the same. They are two different words and they mean completely different things. I am a Hindu but not a Hindutvawadi. Mahatma Gandhi was a Hindu and Nathuram Godse was a Hindutvawadi," he said, drawing a distinction between the two terms.

"No matter whatever happens, a Hindu seeks and spends his whole life in search of truth whereas a Hindutvawadi spends his whole life in search of power. He will kill anyone for the sake of power. The path of a Hindu is 'Satyagraha' (insistence on truth with non-violence) while the path of Hindutva is 'Sattagraha' (lust for power).

"A Hindu heart is filled with love and that of a Hindutvawadi with fear and hatred. A Hindu is someone who is not afraid of anyone, embraces everyone, respects all religions and seeks the truth," Rahul Gandhi added.

He said Congress governments had waived farm loans because farmers are the country's backbone. And referring to the farmers' protest which led to a government climbdown on three agri laws, Gandhi said the PM stabbed the farmers in the back.

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and former Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijaya Singh were among the party leaders on the dais.

The rally was originally scheduled to be held in Delhi. But the Congress said the party was denied permission.

He claimed that Modi waived taxes of industrialists during the coronavirus pandemic but could not provide even buses to labourers who had to walk home for hundreds of kilometres, and died on the road. He claimed India was witnessing the highest unemployment in 60 years.

Jobs cannot be generated by two or three industrialists. Jobs are created by lakhs of small and medium businessmen and farmers, he said.

He also alleged that China occupied Indian land in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh but Modi says nothing happened.

Speaking earlier, Priyanka Gandhi too lashed at the PM, claiming that he favoured his industrialist friends. Sonia Gandhi, however, did not address the rally.

Priyanka Gandhi termed Narendra Modi as "our tourist prime minister" and demanded to know what he has done for the common man.

“Our tourist (paryatak) prime minister roamed the whole world but didn't go 10 kilometres away [to Delhi borders] to meet our [protesting] farmers. This is the type of government we have," she said.

She said that the Modi government is working for select industrialist friends instead of working for the good of the people and farmers of the country and that it wants to sell to its industrialist friends whatever the successive Congress party governments had built in 70 years.

"There are two types of government. The goal of the first type of government is service, dedication and truthfulness to the public and there is a government whose target is lies, greed and loot...The target of the present central government is lies, greed and loot,” she added.

At the Mehengai Hatao rally, Priyanka Gandhi said, "I know life has been tough for you due to inflation. You all have come to this rally because your daily life has become difficult."

(With inputs from PTI, Prakash Bhandari in Jaipur & Vishwadeepak in Delhi)