Dallas, Texas: Congress MP and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, who is on a three-day visit to the US, arrived to Dallas, Texas. He was received by IOC chairman Sam Pitroda and members of Indian Overseas Congress.
Introducing Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to Indian Diaspora at University of Texas in Dallas, IOC chairman Sam Pitroda whipped out his pistols in cowboy style and shot himself in the foot saying “I must tell you, Rahul Gandhi is no Pappu” having Rahul on dais.
“Rahul Gandhi’s agenda is to address some of the larger issues, he has a vision contrary to what BJP promotes by spending crore and crore of rupees. That is why it came as a pleasant surprise when Sam Pitroda, a senior Congress leader, reminded people that Rahul Gandhi was once called “Pappu”.
Addressing the Indian diaspora in Dallas, Texas, Rahul Gandhi emphasizing that his role in Indian politics is to "inject the values of love, respect and humility."
"I see my role as Leader of Opposition is to inject the values of love, respect and humility in Indian politics and all political parties," he said, attending youth.
Speaking at the event, Rahul Gandhi remarked, "You are people who have come from India, and the values that I have been describing -- the values of the Constitution, respect, and humility -- are in your heart, in your blood. You came to this country not with arrogance but with humility and love."
He stressed the importance of the India-US relationship, saying, "The US needs India, and India needs the US. You are the bridge between your old home and your new home. You should bring the ideas of India to the US and the ideas of the US to India."
Reflecting on the Indian national anthem, the LoP in the Lok Sabha stated, "It mentions all our states equally. It doesn't rank one above the other. Our Constitution clearly states that 'India, that is Bharat, is a Union of States' -- very much like the United States. We share the fact that we are the two biggest democracies and also that we are unions of states."
Criticizing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi said, "The RSS believes that India is one idea, but we believe it is a multiplicity of ideas. Everyone should be allowed to participate and dream, regardless of their caste, language, religion, tradition, or history."
"This is the fight, and the fight was crystallized in the election when millions of people in India clearly understood that the Prime Minister of India was attacking the Constitution of India. The Union of States and respect for languages, religions, traditions, and caste are all in the Constitution. The foundation of modern India is the Constitution," he added.
Rahul Gandhi's speech comes at a critical juncture as he seeks to rally support from the diaspora while continuing his opposition against the ruling BJP back home.
Continuing his speech, he said, "People understood that the BJP is attacking our tradition, language, states, histories, and most importantly, what they understood was that anybody who is attacking the Constitution of India is also attacking our religious tradition. That is why, in my first speech in the Parliament, you must have noticed when I described Abhayamudra, the fact that this is a symbol of fearlessness and it is present in every single Indian religion."
"But the BJP doesn't understand this, and we are going to make them understand," he said, mocking the BJP-led Centre.
The Congress leader also noted the shift in public sentiment following the elections, saying, "The other thing that happened was that the fear of the BJP vanished. We saw that immediately, within minutes of the election result, nobody in India was scared of the BJP or the Prime Minister of India. So these are huge achievements, not of Rahul Gandhi or the Congress party. We are peripheral."
"These are huge achievements of the people of India who realized that we are not going to accept an attack on our Constitution. We are not going to accept an attack on our religion, on our state," he added.
He criticized the policies of the ruling BJP government on various aspects-- from unemployment to the hatred he alleged the government has dissolved in the country during an interaction with the Indian community.
During an interaction with students at the University of Texas in Dallas on September 8, Gandhi said there is no shortage of skills in India and the country could compete with China if it starts aligning itself for production. "India, the US and other countries in the West are facing the problem of unemployment while China isn't as it is dominating global production," he said.
The leader of Opposition also plans to meet lawmakers and senior officials of the US government during his visit to Washington DC.
BJP’s reactions on Rahul’s remarks
Responding to Rahul Gandhi's criticism, BJP leader and Union Minister Giriraj Singh said, "If there is any technology to go to his grandmother and ask her about the role of RSS, then go and ask or look in the pages of history. To know about RSS, Rahul Gandhi will have to take many births. A traitor cannot know RSS and those who go abroad and criticize the country cannot grasp its essence."
"It seems Rahul Gandhi travels abroad only to defame India. He will never be able to comprehend the RSS in this lifetime, as it is rooted in the values and culture of India," Singh further said.
Instead of praising India, he is going abroad and abusing India and praising China, praising the enemy country. It seems like he is thriving on China's money, and they are going abroad and branding China. If PM Modi did not protect the Constitution, cases of treason should be registered against such people who go outside India and criticize India," Singh added.
"Rahul Gandhi is a part-time leader. After becoming LoP, he has responsibility on his shoulders that the public has given him. He is a black spot on democracy. He doesn't even know what to say on foreign land. He could not say a word against China. He portrays India as a weak entity,” says Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gaurav Bhatia.
