‘Dictator’ Modi symbolises corruption, says Rahul after Karnataka trust vote

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president Amit Shah and the RSS after BS Yeddyurappa resigned as the Karnataka Chief Minister just before he was supposed to prove the BJP’s majority in the state Assembly.

Addressing a conference at the Congress headquarters, Gandhi began with a jibe directed at the BJP. “Did you notice that after the exercise in the Karnataka Assembly, BJP MLAs and the Pro Tem Speaker left the house before the National Anthem. This is what we are fighting,” said Gandhi.

Blaming Modi, “murder-accused” Amit Shah and the RSS for disrespecting institutions, including the Supreme Court, Gandhi stated, “They disrespected the mandate of the people of Karnataka. They disrespected the mandate of the people of Goa. They disrespected the mandate of the people of Manipur.”

He pointed fingers at PM Modi, saying while the latter tom-toms about his anti-corruption attitude, “the entire country has seen how the PM has authorised the purchase of Congress and JD(S) MLAs. He is corruption. He is doing everything to encourage corruption.”

Today’s events in Karnataka have proven that “In India, power is not everything. Money is not everything. Corruption is not everything. The will of the people is everything”.

He congratulated Congress leaders and workers and those of the HD Deve Gowda-led JD(S) for showing the limits of arrogance to Modi, Shah and the RSS.

He left a message for the Prime Minister, saying, “The PM is not bigger than India, the people of India, the Supreme Court, the state Assemblies. He is chosen by the people to respect the institutions of the country. I am not sure he will understand that. He has been trained to think that only the RSS is worthy of respect.”

“I hope the BJP And RSS learn their lesson that not all institutions of this country can be subverted,” added Gandhi.

He said the entire country was aware that the PM’s style was not democratic but that of a dictator.

Responding to media queries on his take on whether Governor Vajubhai Vala should resign, Rahul Gandhi said, “No institution is immune to the assault of the RSS. The Governor has no choice, no power any more. All power are with the PM and the RSS. Even if he resigns, the next man under BJP rule will do the same.”

This story was updated at 6.51 pm to reflect editorial changes