Congress President Rahul Gandhi slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party government for promoting a private-sector monopoly and controlling the media

*Paromita Das

Congress President Rahul Gandhi slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party government on Friday for promoting a private-sector monopoly in the country and, as a result, controlling the media.

“I believe it is extremely risky for one company to control all airports, ports, and infrastructure. It has never existed in this form (private sector monopoly). There has never been such a massive concentration of power and capital. Another factor throttling the conversation is the current Indian government’s control of the media through this concentration of capital “Gandhi stated this at a London event.
Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of corruption “”You need one spark and we’ll be in big trouble,” the former INC party president said of spreading kerosene across the country. I believe we must act responsibly as the country’s opposition, the Congress, in order to bring people, communities, states, and religions together in harmony.”

“We need to bring this temperature down because if it doesn’t, things can go wrong,” the Congress leader said at the event, which was hosted by the non-profit think tank Bridge India.

He went on to say that in India, there are two types of governance at work: one that silences voices and the other that listens.
“Please understand that the BJP shouts and stifles voices. We simply listen. They are two distinct things with two distinct designs. A cadre is instructed to say this and nothing else; it is intended to force a specific set of ideas down people’s throats, whether it is the Communist idea or the RSS system. That is not how we were designed. We are designed to listen to the people of India and extract and place their voice on the table “Gandhi lashed out at the BJP.

The Congress leader went on to say that the Prime Minister should have the attitude of “I want to listen,” but “our Prime Minister doesn’t listen.”
Rahul Gandhi praised the Congress party’s efforts in India, saying, “The Congress, through its actions, has been attacking the social systems (such as the caste system) in the country.” We fundamentally believe that every Indian should have equal access to opportunities.”

“Trying to impose the same idea that we ran in the 1990s and 2000s will not work now.” That is exactly what the government is doing right now. The task for the opposition is to provide the people of India with a new vision, an economic vision. At the national level, Congress controls ideology. Congress is a structure that allows opposition to exist.
The ideological battle is taking place between the RSS’s national vision and Congress’s national vision,” he stated.

According to the Congress leader, “This is no longer just a political battle. We are now fighting an organisation that has taken over the institutional structure of the Indian state. The only way for us to proceed is to approach large groups of Indians.”

Gandhi went on to accuse the BJP government in India of stifling the country’s voices, saying, “People tell us that we need a cadre like the BJP. And I tell them that the day we have a cadre similar to the BJP’s, we will be the BJP. We listen while the BJP muzzles voices.”

He was joined at the conference by Opposition leaders, including CPI(M) Sitaram Yechury, RJD Tejashwi Yadav, and TMC Mahua Moitra, and warned of kerosene all over the country, and all it takes is one spark.

A cadre is told that you will say this and nothing else because it is intended to force a specific set of ideas down people’s throats, whether it is the Communist idea or the RSS system. That is not how we were designed. We are designed to listen to the people of India and extract and place their voices on the table, he said.

India’s democracy is a global public good. It serves as the planet’s primary anchor. Because we are the only people who have managed democracy on such a large scale. If that cracks, it will be a problem for the planet,” he stated.

We believe India is a negotiation between its people; the BJP and RSS believe India is geography whose benefits should be distributed to a few. Everyone, we believe, should have equal access, “Gandhi was quoted as saying by the Congress Party.

When asked about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Gandhi drew parallels with Chinese actions in India.

Russians tell Ukraine that they will not recognize their country’s territorial integrity. We refuse to accept that these two districts are Ukrainian territory. And we will attack you in these two districts to ensure that you break an alliance with NATO, said Gandhi.

That is exactly what Russian President Vladimir Putin is doing, according to him.

Putin is saying that he is not prepared for you to form an alliance with America. So I will attack you on the issue of territorial integrity, he said.

Please recognize the parallels between what is happening in Ukraine and what is happening in Ladakh and Doklam, said the Congress leader.

Please keep in mind that the same concept is at work. There are Chinese forces in Ladakh and Chinese forces in Doklam, according to Gandhi. Today, Chinese troops are stationed within India. They recently completed a massive bridge across Pangong Lake. They are constructing the infrastructure. They’re obviously getting ready for something. But the government refuses to discuss it. The government wishes to stifle debate. That is bad news for India.

They keep telling me that I bring up the China issue. Yes, I brought up China because I am concerned about it. I am concerned that Chinese troops are stationed within India, and I can see exactly what is going on in Ukraine. In one of our conversations, I mentioned this to the Foreign Minister, and he said, “You know what, you have a point.” That’s an intriguing perspective. Please understand that there are parallels to what is happening, Gandhi said.

The bridge is being built in the midst of a two-year standoff between Indian and Chinese armies at several points in eastern Ladakh.

According to people familiar with Chinese construction, the new bridge is being built more than 20 kilometers from the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

On Friday, India expressed strong opposition to China’s construction of a second bridge across Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh, claiming that it is in an area that has been under “illegal occupation” by that country for approximately 60 years.
According to Arindam Bagchi, a spokesperson for the External Affairs Ministry, India has never accepted such illegal occupation of its territory, nor has it accepted the “unjustified” Chinese claim or such construction activities.

“We have made it clear on numerous occasions that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of India, and we expect other countries to respect India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.

Bagchi stated that the government has increased border infrastructure development, particularly since 2014, including the construction of roads and bridges, to ensure that the nation’s security interests are fully protected.
“The government remains committed to the goal of developing infrastructure along the border areas to not only meet India’s strategic and security needs, but also to facilitate economic development in these areas,” he added.

During the conference, Gandhi made the following statement about his own party: “We have an opportunity now that we haven’t had in many years to completely redesign the Congress through mass action.” And so do many in the opposition.

Gandhi stated that he believes the time for mass action is now, not in the past few years, because there is a government in charge that is destroying and attacking the country’s institutional framework. As a result, roles shift and you must adapt. When I see our country’s voice being crushed, I see myself as someone who defends that idea of India. I consider what I should and can do. It’s a difficult situation, but I believe there’s a huge opportunity within this thing.

I believe that the coming struggle will result in an India that is far superior to both the one we have now and the one we had previously. I believe something beautiful can emerge from this. He stated, “I fundamentally believe in the spirit of our country.”

Earlier, he took to Twitter to describe the enriching conversation he had at the conference. Gandhi is also scheduled to speak with students at Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge, on Monday at an event titled “India at 75.”