Country steeped in hatred can never progress: Rahul condemns BJP govt

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the BJP-led Union government of diverting attention from real issues and promoting capitalists while asserting that a country steeped in hatred can never progress. Urging people not to accept hate, the Congress leader stressed that India "was and shall always remain" a country of love.

Kickstarting a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency Rae Bareli, Gandhi interacted with party workers and youths in Bachhrawan and then went to Jagatpur in Unchahar where he unveiled a statue of Rana Beni Madhav Singh, a hero of the 1857 Indian Mutiny.

Speaking at a public event, he took a jibe at news media. "I have to say they (media) are our friends, but in reality, they are friends of Modi, Adani and Ambani. This is because they don't talk about the public, have you seen any news about farmers, labourers or inflation on TV? They will show you weddings of the Ambanis and Adanis, dance shows and watches worth Rs 15 crore," Gandhi said.

"Their work is to put pressure on the government. If the government does anything wrong, they hold it accountable. But they are not doing their work properly now," he added.

Recalling the contributions of Rana Beni Madhav Singh and Beera Paasi in the 1857 mutiny, the Congress MP said all great men who fought for India's Independence, "fought for the Constitution and if the poor, labourers and farmers in the country have a voice today it is because of the Constitution".

"This Constitution is the voice of India. Gandhi, Ambedkar and Nehru gave (us) this Constitution. They fought the British and went to jail. Before them, Rana Beni Madhav Singh and Beera Paasi fought. They all fought for the Constitution.

"Political parties have a duty towards saving the Constitution and so does the media. But these days they (media) are not working to protect the Constitution and that's why I talked about them," Gandhi said.

He also alleged that the country was being 'sold'. "Airports, ports, infrastructure, coal, railways, everything is being sold. The Congress is fighting, I am fighting on the streets. But the media is not helping us. But we will fight and show you we can win."

"Inflation has risen significantly and the BJP government is only promoting capitalists," he alleged.

Mentioning his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi said, "A country that is divided and steeped in hatred can never progress. That is why we had the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. From the sea to the mountains, 4,000 km, we gave this message that this is a country of harmony and love, not hatred," he said.

He urged people to stop forces trying to divide India, pitting one religion, language and caste against another. "This has been a country of love and so shall it remain," Gandhi told the gathering.

Earlier in the day, the former Congress president visited the Hanuman temple at the Churuva border point and then went to Bachhrawan, where he addressed a party workers' conference and urged them to maintain a stronghold at the booth level.

Meanwhile, some BJP workers claimed they were placed under house arrest during Gandhi's visit. BJP mandal president Pravesh Verma alleged, "Along with 25 workers, we have been confined to the nagar panchayat office. It is the MP's responsibility to stay here, listen to the problems of the people and resolve them because the people of Rae Bareli elected him as their representative."

However, there was no confirmation from the police about the house arrest.