The fight is between two ideologies: Rahul Gandhi

Mumbai, Mar 17: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took a swipe at the BJP, saying that the fight was between two ideologies as one essentially believed in centralisation of power and the other was like 'Shiv Ki Baraat' taking all together.

The former Congress president, accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Mahatma Gandhi’s great grandson Tushar Gandhi, held an interactive meeting with the representatives of NGOs and civil society. They discussed the five guarantees (Nyay) which were announced by him during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra that concluded at Chaityabhoomi on Saturday.

The Congress leaders from Mumbai and Maharashtra along with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi held a padyatra from August Kranti ground to Mani Bhavan in south Mumbai.

“Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’s strength was not only me but the crores (of Indians) who walked with me. This fight is not limited to Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi or Congress and BJP. The fight is between two thoughts. One says the country will be run from the top and all will follow the orders. The second says, run the country in a decentralised manner. In religious terms, we can call it 'Shiv Ki Baarat',” said the Congress leader.

He called upon the people not to be scared especially when the battle was of two different ideologies. "Some say that BJP will change the constitution and all. Let me tell you that they have no courage to change the constitution. In this battle, the truth and Hindustan stand with us,’’ he said.

He said, “Injustice against poor, Dalit, women, is a root cause of growing hatred in the country as barely 2 to 3 per cent get justice for whom the government and all the institutions work.”

“When we were in the government and raised the issue of farm loan waiver, we were told that farmers will become lazy. When we brought MGNREGA, we were told that the poor will be spoiled. On the other hand when a Rs 16 lakh crore bank loan of 20-25 people gets waived off, then doesn’t it spoil them?” Rahul Gandhi said.

He said that although issues like paper leak, MSP, minimum wages, small traders are facing GST problems were highlighted there was no consensus. “It is important to realise that injustice is happening not only against me but against my brother (others) as well,” he said, adding that the movement is created when everybody starts protecting the interests of each other.