In response to a question about how the Bharat Jodo Yatra has impacted his image, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stated during a press conference that he has “killed Rahul Gandhi” and is unconcerned about it. “Rahul Gandhi is in your mind. I have eliminated him. He is no longer there. He is not in my thoughts at all. He is gone,” said the Congress leader.
“The person you see before you is not him. You can see him. You don’t comprehend it. Read Hindu scriptures. Learn about Lord Shiva, you will understand. Don’t be surprised. Rahul Gandhi is in your mind, not mine. He is in theirs, not mine,” he told the reporter who asked the question.
Later, wrapping up the fourth day of his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Haryana, Gandhi launched a fierce criticism of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Modi government, stating that while Congress is an organization of discipline, BJP is focused on forced worship.
“The appropriate response to such forced worship can only be discipline (which he claims is the Congress’s approach). In this yatra, not one person is practicing discipline, but thousands of people are, and the yatra is evidence of this,” he said. “This country is practicing discipline, and the government should honor it. I believe that the day is not far when India’s farmers and small business owners will see results from their discipline,” he added.
Ending his yatra in Haryana, where the Mahabharat battle took place, Gandhi referred to RSS as the “21st century Kauravas.” “Who were the Kauravas? Let me introduce you to the 21st century Kauravas. They wear khaki half-pants, carry sticks, and attend shakhas. India’s 2-3 billionaires are standing with the Kauravas.”
The Congress leader also compared Congress to the Pandavas. “Did the Pandavas ever commit a crime against a poor person? Did the Pandavas carry out demonetization, implement a faulty GST? Would they ever do such things? No. Why? Because they knew that demonetization, faulty GST, and farm laws are ways to exploit the disciplined people of this land,” he said.
He stated that the current battle is akin to the one fought by the Pandavas against the Kauravas. “People may not realize this, but the fight is the same today…On one side were these five disciplined individuals, and on the other side was the organization. Alongside the Pandavas were people of all faiths. Similar to this Yatra, where no one asks where others come from. This Yatra is a hub of love. The Pandavas also stood against injustice, they also opened a shop of love in a marketplace of hatred,” he added. Once again targeting the RSS, he mentioned that RSS workers never say Har Har Mahadev. “Why? Because Lord Shiva is a disciplined individual.”
