If the opposition stands effectively with a vision, it will be very difficult for the BJP to win the 2024 general elections former Congress President Rahul Gandhi said while asserting that Congress alone can provide the central ideological framework among opposition forces. He was addressing his ninth press conference in the course of the Bharat Jodo Yatra at the party headquarters in Delhi.
“If the opposition stands effectively with a vision... and from what I am seeing and hearing from the ground, it will become very difficult for the BJP to win the next elections. But the opposition has to coordinate properly and go to people with an alternative vision...But there is a strong undercurrent against the BJP,” Mr. Gandhi said answering a question on opposition unity. He insisted that all the opposition leaders are standing with the Congress and many of them despite the invitation might not join Bharat Jodo Yatra because of their “political and other compulsions”. The Congress invited Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Singh to join the UP leg of the yatra but both have declined the invitation.
Mr. Gandhi said that there are ideological similarties between the Opposition parties. “I believe both Akhileshji and Mayawati ji (BSP supremo) want Mohabbat Ka Hindustan (India of Love) and not “nafrat ka hindustan” (India of hatred),” Mr. Gandhi said.
When the reporters flagged Mr. Yadav’s recent comments where he said, that the BJP is merely following the Congress playbook, when it comes to misusing security agencies against the opposition parties, Mr. Gandhi said, that Mr. Yadav is entitled to his view and that he has his own space. The fight between Congress and the BJP is not a tactical political fight, Mr Gandhi said, while adding that the BJP is controling the entire infrastructure of the country and dominating the political space. “And while I respect all opposition leaders, I want to say that if you look at Samajwadi Party, they do not have a national perspective. In Uttar Pradesh they have a position and to defend which they aren’t joining the Bharat Jodo Yatra. But SP’s idea will not work for Kerala, Karnataka or Bihar,” Mr Gandhi argued. Underlining the importance of the Congress in the opposition space he said, “central ideological framework can be provided only by the Congress party.” The key to opposition unity, Mr. Gandhi insisted is mutual respect.
In a significant change from his earlier stance where he insisted that the Bharat Jodo Yatra is not an electoral exercise, Mr. Gandhi, said, that he is not in a position to comment about the electoral dividend for the Congress from the yatra just yet. “The yatra is a conversation, I don’t think it is fair for me to make any comments before that conversation is over. I can answer such questions the day we hoist flag in Srinagar at least this phase of the yatra is over,” he said.
He reiterated his comments on the Indo-China stand off, cautioning the government to heed the warnings and prepare both militarily and diplomatically before the situation at the border snowballs into a bigger crisis. He held “event based” and “non-strategic” foreign policy responsible for the current stand off. “When I speak about the Indo-China crisis, I am not criticising the army, I am criticising the union government. They should stop hiding behind the army,” he said. He used the opportunity to hit out at the BJP saying that no one in the top leadership of the ruling party has first hand seen loss of loved one at the hands of terrorists. “As person from a family of martyrs I very well understand the pain of our jawans posted at the border. They should not be forced to pay the price for BJP government’s mistakes,” Mr. Gandhi averred.
He also hit out at the government for claiming that during the course of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, he clocked in 112 violations of his security protocol. He asked “They want me to travel in a bullet proof car from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. That is not acceptable. When senior BJP leaders violate the protocol such letters aren’t sent. How the standards be different for them and me?”
