The powerful thing about Mahatma Gandhi was that he put into action whatever he said: Rahul Gandhi

Kickstarting his two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency Wayanad, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday unveiled a statue of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi at Gandhi park, recalled his teachings and said it is less about his form and more about the way he lived his life.

"When we look at this statue, we do not just remember Mahatma Gandhi-ji, we also remember his action and the way he lived his life," the Congress leader told a gathering after unveiling the statue, sculptured by K K R Vengara, at Mananthavady.

Referring to Gandhi's teachings, he said the powerful thing about Mahatma Gandhi was that he put into action whatever he said. "If he said India should be a tolerant country, he behaved in a tolerant way. If he said India should treat women with respect, he treated women with respect. If he said India should be a secular country, he himself behaved in a secular manner," he said.

“Today, we hear many people, who say they want a country that is fair. And then they treat people unfairly. They say, they want a India which respects women and then they themselves disrespect women. Then they say they want a secular country and inside themselves, they view religions differently. So for me, this statue is much more about practice, then it is about the personality. It is less about Mahatma Gandhi’s form and more about the way he lived his life. It is a guide for us. So, I hope, when people look at this statue, when they drive past this road, they remember the actions of Mahatma Gandhi, because it is our actions, which define our country,” Rahul Gandhi added.

Gandhi, who arrived in Kozhikode on Monday morning, had lunch with students from the tribal community who cracked the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). "Such bright young people.. their hopes and aspirations must be protected at all costs. We, as a nation, owe this to them", he wrote on his Facebook page. He also shared the photographs of his lunch with them.

He noted that most of them are from the particularly vulnerable Kattunayakan tribal group and said, "I hope that they go on to hold the highest judicial offices in our country."