Rahul Gandhi: “Don’t allow voice of Karnataka to be crushed by RSS”

Continuing his stinging attacks on BJP’s ideological parent, RSS, Congress president Rahul Gandhi termed the Karnataka election as a fight between ‘hate mongers’ and those who respect diversity and variety of thoughts.

“I accept that all voices must be heard. Where I draw the line is violence. Where I draw the line is hatred. My main concern with the RSS view and the BJP view is violence, hatred, animosity,” said Rahul Gandhi in an interview published in Deccan Herald on May 3.

Criticising BJP for imposing a monolithic, majoritarian view of nationalism, Gandhi said that India is a very diverse country, therefore any ‘rigid’ idea of nationalism cannot be imposed. “My problem with so called nationalism with of Narendra Modi and the BJP is that it includes nobody else’s view except their own. So, if anybody has a slightly different view than them, they are not seen with the correct lens. They are crushed. That is not how I view India,” said Gandhi adding that there is a huge reaction against “the imposition of a narrowly defined, a Nagpur-RSS idea of nationalism.”

Blaming Prime Minister Modi for failing to deliver on all his poll planks, Gandhi said that the Karnataka election will set the tone for 2019 election. Reiterating his claim of winning the 2019 election and all assembly elections before that, Gandhi stated that the Karnataka election will show the mirror to Prime Minister Narendra modi.

“In 2019, India is clearly going to state to Mr Narendra Modi—Mr Modi you promised us three things (jobs, end of corruption, MSP to farmers) and all you have given us is a lot of talk. But nothing has really happened.”

Replying to a question asked about his visits to temples at the time of election, Rahul said, “anybody who invites me to show me or introduce me to something he respects, I will go there. Because I respect his view. I visited mosques, temples in Karnataka, I visited gurudwaras in Gujarat.”

Rahul credited success of Bengaluru as a Silicon Valley of India to its cosmopolitan nature. Citing the example of 12th-century Lingayat philosopher, statesman and reformist Kannada poet, Basavanna, Rahul said that Karnataka have an old tradition of respect, carrying everyone together.

“Basavanna was somebody who showed Karnataka this direction. This is in the DNA of Karnataka—respecting each other—which is why Karnataka is successful. The reason why Bengaluru is known as the Silicon Valley is because of its cosmopolitan nature, because everybody realises that we are only going to succeed this way.”

Rahul categorically denied Modi’s allegation of disrespecting former Prime Minister, HD Deve Gowda in his interview. Urging Deve Gowda to clear his stand on which side he stands, Rahul said that the Karnataka election is between the BJP ideology and the Congress ideology.

“Mr Deve Gowda has to be clear. He has to tell the people of Karnataka, is he on this side, or on that side. That is the extent of my question to Mr Deve Gowda,” said Gandhi.

When asked about his plans to strengthen the Congress, Rahul gave a mantra to his cadres and vowed to fight against the RSS.

“Fight for that ideology, defend that ideology, protect people who are being attacked and assaulted by the ideology of the RSS and the BJP, give voice to people in this country. Don’t allow the voice of Karnataka to be crushed by the RSS. Don’t allow Karnataka or any other state for that matter to be controlled by the RSS,” concluded Rahul.