Congress is a ‘way of thinking’, Modi failed to understand its ideology: Rahul Gandhi

Congress’ ideology is ‘a way of living and thinking’ and not just about a political party, says Congress leader; asserts BJP spreading hatred while his party spreads love

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that he spoke about “Congress Mukt Bharat” in his election speeches, but failed to understand the ideology of Congress which was “a way of living and thinking” and not just about a political party.

Addressing a gathering at Haryana’s Faridabad on the last day of Bharat Jodo Yatra in the State, Mr. Gandhi said Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) “were two different ways of thinking and living”. While Mr. Modi had understood the ideology of his party which was to spread violence, fear and hatred, he could not understand the ideology of Congress. “The BJP and the RSS are the markets of hatred, and the Congress is the shop of love in the same market,” said Mr. Gandhi.

He said the policies of the BJP such as demonetisation, Goods and Services Tax and unemployment spread fear, but the policies of the United Progressive Alliance such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and the Land Acquisition Bill dispelled all fears. “The RSS and the BJP spread fear and hatred, we spread love,” quipped Mr. Gandhi, adding that Congress was a “weapon” of the poor, the downtrodden, the farmers and the labourers.

Continuing his attack on Mr. Modi, Mr. Gandhi said the PM spent thousands of crores to defame him and his party for seven-eight years, but he never uttered a word and now proved Mr. Modi wrong in just one month. “Now the whole country saw that my heart was only full of love for the poor, the farmers and the labourers. All the money that Mr. Modi spent to defame me, I reduced it to ashes in just one month,” said Mr. Gandhi.

He added that it was not Mr. Modi’s government and he was being controlled. “It is the government of Adani and Ambani,” said Mr. Gandhi.

Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the rousing welcome to Bharat Jodo Yatra in Haryana had proved that “the time belonged to Congress”. He blamed the BJP government in the State for the plight of the historical city of Faridabad, the industrial town set up by late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.