Rahul Gandhi confronts Modi’s ideology, questions integrity of 2024 elections
Washington: Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has asserted that the political environment that brought Prime Minister Narendra Modi to power in 2014 has drastically shifted by 2024.
According to Kashmir Media Service, speaking to students at Georgetown University, Gandhi stated that Modi’s ambition to secure over 400 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was unattainable due to its flawed foundation. He suggested that even securing 240 seats under Modi’s leadership justifiably would have been difficult. He emphasized that their politics does not align with Modi’s perspective, asserting that their struggle is against his ideology.
Gandhi further remarked that the forces that brought Modi to power in 2014 have become outdated. He questioned the fairness and transparency of the Lok Sabha elections in India, expressing doubts about their integrity. According to him, the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were highly controlled.
He criticized the Modi government for its control over institutions and said that the Hindutva RSS was dominating the educational system, media, and investigative agencies. Gandhi said that the Election Commission of India structured the campaign to favor Modi, enabling him to promote his agenda across the country with various designs for different states.
He further noted that the coalition that initially supported Modi has fractured, leading to a perception among the public that Modi’s government is no longer effective. Gandhi condemned the caste-based political tactics in India, arguing that such divisions threaten the constitutional framework and destabilize the country.
During an interaction with the Indian community in Virginia, Gandhi framed the current struggle in India as one for religious freedom and regional identity rather than mere politics. He criticized the RSS for undermining diversity and promoting a hierarchy among states, languages, religions, and communities. “The RSS is asserting that some states, languages, religions, and communities are inferior to others,” Gandhi said.
Gandhi concluded by questioning whether India would be a place where people can freely express their beliefs and identities or one where only a select few dictate terms.
