'Full-scale assault' on India’s democratic institutions by BJP, says Rahul Gandhi

    09-Sep-2023
|
New Delhi, Sep 8 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said Friday that India was witnessing a struggle between “two visions” these days, one he termed as a fight between Mahatma Gandhi’s vision and Nathuram Godse’s vision.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels, the first stop of his multi-nation European tour, Gandhi said there were “serious issues” about the “type of actions that are being taken with regards to institutions and democracy” in the country.
He told foreign correspondents at the Belgium Press Club: “The democratic structures of our country… are under attack from the group of people who are running India. I don’t think this point is missed by anybody.”
Gandhi said there was a “full-scale assault” on the institutions of the country. “It has been commented on internally and globally. Of course, minorities are under attack. So are many other communities. Dalits, Tribals. Lower castes,” India’s Opposition leader said.
He said there was also an attempt to change the nature of the country. “Our country in the Constitution is described as a ‘Union of States’. We believe that the most-critical aspect of our Union is the conversation between its members.
“There is an alternative vision, the BJP vision, which believes that power should be centralised. Power should be concentrated. Wealth should be concentrated. And the conversation between members of the Union, between people of India should be suppressed. This is the fight between two visions. I like to term it as the fight between Mahatma Gandhi’s vision and Nathuram Godse’s vision. Nathuram Godse being the person who assassinated our leader,” Gandhi said. PTI