In London, Rahul Gandhi calls RSS 'fascist'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has called the BJP a wing of "fascist RSS which subverts the democracy it uses to come to power".

The Wayanad MP made the remarks during an interaction at London-based think tank Chatham House on late Monday evening.

"The complete capture of India's institutions by the RSS has changed the nature of country's democratic contest," he added.

Gandhi also alleged the Opposition is "not allowed to have any conversation around the Demonetisation, Kisan Bill, GST imposition and the Chinese aggression".

Speaking about his Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Congress leader said: "The Yatra was our communication gateway to reach out to the people of India."

"The BJP is blinded by the power it has recklessly enjoyed in the last nine years," Rahul Gandhi said, adding that the saffron party has "no interest in listening to public's opinion".

He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi "comfortably uses agencies and spywares against the Opposition - a complete opposite picture of what it used to be under our government".

"Our society is built in a democratic manner. The Chinese do not practice the same model and (they) see it as their biggest challenger... We need to offer the world our own vision of 'productivity with prosperity'," Gandhi asserted.

The Congress leader said that the idea of a democratic model "is under attack" and the democracy on the planet "will suffer a blow if our (India's) democratic model collapses".