Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS for silencing the voice of the democratic institutions and capturing them. Addressing an international conference on Dr Ambedkar, Quest for equity organised by the Karnataka Government on Friday at Bengaluru, Rahul Gandhi also raked up the issue Rohit Vemula and called it a murder.
He said, “Rohit Vemula was killed because he was a Dalit. Akhlaq was butchered they said he stole a calf.” Modi and RSS want India to surrender its voice. It is the systematic capture of the democratic institutions”, he added.
Further speaking out Rahul Gandhi said, “I don’t call it suicide, I call it murder. Rohit Vemula was crushed and murdered by the indignities he suffered.”
Rahul Gandhi also spoke on Md Akhlaq’s killing saying he was butchered because they say he stole a calf. “It was a lie. Instead of questioning his (Md Akhlaq) brutal killing they ask whether the meat in the fridge was mutton or beef.”
The Congress leader also said the whole idea and aim was to mutilate the constitution by suppressing dissent voices.
He had earlier also hit out at the Centre and questioned the handling of the state of affairs in J&K in the past few months. The Congress vice-president also took on the Centre over its demonetisation move and said, “Publicly they called it a stroke of genius, privately they called it insanity.” “ The BJP wants to paint a lie over India” , the congress leader added.
Rahul Gandhi further lashed out the Modi Government and said, “What is happening today is the systematic capture of India’s democratic institutions. By the PM, bureaucrats and the RSS.”
Hitler once wrote “Keep a very firm grasp on reality so you can strangulate it anytime”. Today this is what is happening around us.
Praising Dr BR Ambedkar during the event, Rahul also said, “Truth and power are not the same thing. Dr. Ambedkar is great because he stood for the truth.” The ruling congress government led by chief minister Siddaramaiah leaving no stone untouched ahead of 2018 assembly polls which is crucial for the Congress. The politics of appeasement to the hilt b Siddaramaiah has also been criticized by many which is seen as a weapon to fight the major opposition BJP.
While speaking at the function Siddaramaiah said “today the idea of India as a plural society is at cross roads and values that our civilization and culture held in high esteem are facing a crucial test in view of the onslaught of divisive and exclusivist ideas.”
Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi and Martin luther King Junior 3 and host of dignitaries and intellectuals , academic and politicians are taking part in this three day event.