Rahul Gandhi Criticizes Modi’s ’56-Inch Chest’ Claim in US, Calls His Ideology Outdated

Rahul Gandhi stated on Tuesday that something has changed after the Lok Sabha elections, and now there is no fear. The fear has disappeared. The BJP and Prime Minister Modi spread so much fear, pressured small businesses with agencies, but all of it vanished in seconds.

He said, “It took them years to spread this fear, and it disappeared in seconds. When I look at the Prime Minister in Parliament, I can tell you that Modi’s ideas, his 56-inch chest, his direct connection with God – all of that is over now, it has all become history.”

Rahul Gandhi shared these thoughts during a discussion with the Indian community in Herndon, Virginia. The Congress leader is on a three-day visit to the US. On Tuesday, he reached Washington, marking his first foreign trip as the leader of the opposition. Earlier, on Sunday, he had visited Texas, where he was welcomed by members of the Indian Overseas Congress and NRIs upon arrival at the airport.

Three Key Points from Rahul Gandhi’s Speech:

1. Bank Accounts Sealed Before Elections: “A person from our party’s finance department came and said all our accounts had been sealed. Imagine what would happen if a businessperson faced such a situation! The same thing happened to Congress. We didn’t even have money for advertisements or for leaders’ travels. Mallikarjun Kharge, other senior leaders, and our treasurer were all with us. At that time, the treasurer lost his temper, wondering what to do in such a situation. That was the first time I had experienced something like that. The treasurer told me there was no money, and I replied that we would see what happens. We fought the general elections with this mindset.”
2. BJP Does Not Believe the Country Belongs to Everyone: The BJP cannot understand that this country belongs to everyone. India is a union. The Constitution clearly states that India is a union of states, with diverse histories, traditions, music, and dance. The BJP says this is not a union; it is different.
3. RSS Does Not Understand India: The RSS says some states are of lower quality than others. Some languages are of lower quality than others, some religions are of lower quality, and some communities are of lower quality. Every state has its own history and tradition. According to the RSS ideology, Tamil, Marathi, Bengali, and Manipuri are lower-quality languages. This is where the fight is. The RSS does not understand India.

Reservation Should Not End Yet: 

On ending reservations, he said, “Congress will consider ending reservations when the time is right, but not now. When you look at financial data, tribals get 10 paise out of every 100 rupees, Dalits get 5 rupees, and OBCs get about the same. The truth is they are not getting their share. Look at the list of every business leader in India. Show me a tribal, a Dalit name. Show me an OBC name. I believe only one OBC is among the top 200, while they make up 50% of the country, but we are not addressing this problem.”

Caste Census is Essential: 

Dalits, OBCs, and tribals in India are not getting their rights. 90% of the population, comprising OBCs, Dalits, and tribals, are not represented. The caste census is a simple way to understand the condition of lower castes, backward castes, and Dalits. Look at the list of the top 200 businessmen. 90% of people have no representation. Look at the country’s highest court; they have no participation. Look at the media; there are no lower castes, OBCs, or Dalits.

We Have Successfully Managed Coalitions Before: 

Our alliance (I.N.D.I.A.) agrees that India’s Constitution must be protected. Most of us agree on the idea of a caste census. India’s business cannot be run solely by two industrialists, Adani and Ambani. We have successfully run coalition governments repeatedly, and we are confident we can do it again. This is not a BJP alliance; this is the I.N.D.I.A. alliance. The whole idea of the alliance was to tell people that India is under attack, and it has been very successful.

If Elections Had Been Fair, BJP Would Not Have Reached 246: 

Before the elections, we insisted that institutions were being taken over. RSS has taken control of the education system. They control the media and investigative agencies. We kept saying this, but people didn’t understand. Then I brought up the Constitution, and what I said suddenly happened. Poor India, backward India understood that if the Constitution is destroyed, the entire game is over. People realized that this is a fight between those who want to protect the Constitution and those who want to destroy it. The issue of the caste census also became a major one. If the elections had been fair, I don’t think the BJP would have even reached 246.”

Rahul Said in Texas – Everything in India is Made in China: 

On Monday, he participated in two programs. First, he discussed various issues like Indian politics, the economy, and the Bharat Jodo Yatra with students at the University of Texas. Then, he addressed the Indian community in Dallas. Speaking in Texas, Rahul said that everything in India is made in China. There is a problem of unemployment in India. This is because we have not focused on manufacturing. Everything in India is made in China. China has focused on manufacturing, and that is why they don’t have an unemployment problem.

Rahul Targets BJP and RSS: 

Rahul said they want to keep women at home. He said that the RSS believes India is made up of one idea, whereas we believe that India is made up of many ideas. He also said people have realized that the BJP is attacking our traditions, languages, states, and history. Rahul said that after the elections, the fear of the BJP has disappeared.

Rahul Gandhi’s Foreign Trips in the Last Five Years Have Been Controversial:

• May 2022: Rahul Gandhi visited the UK. Referring to CBI and ED, he compared the Indian government to the Pakistani government. The BJP accused Rahul of defaming India while abroad.
• December 2020: Rahul Gandhi went to Italy to meet his grandmother. The Congress Foundation Day is celebrated every year on December 28. He did not participate in it, leading to controversy. A few months later, elections were held in Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand, Manipur, and UP. The Congress did not perform well in these. Many Congress leaders linked this to Rahul’s foreign trips. He was accused of canceling rallies in Punjab to visit Italy.
• December 2019: A major protest was going on in India against the CAA. After this, Rahul Gandhi went to South Korea. Even Congress leaders raised questions about his visit.
• October 2019: Just 15 days before the elections in Haryana and Maharashtra, Rahul Gandhi went to Cambodia. The BJP said that Rahul Gandhi went to Bangkok for a personal trip, while Congress said he went to Cambodia for meditation.