NEW DELHI, June 12
Kalpetta, June 12: Calling the newly-sworn in National Democratic Alliance dispensation “crippled”, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have to change his attitude.
“The Opposition has dealt a fatal blow to the BJP. Even Prime Minister Modi’s attitude will have to change, because the people of India have sent him a clear message,” Rahul told voters at Ernanad assembly constituency under Wayanad, which has voted him as MP for the second consecutive time. This is his first visit to the constituency since his election.
He further said: “From our perspective, the role of the Opposition will continue. The Opposition will prepare an alternative vision for the people of India, which will be a pro-poor, compassionate visions. We will fight for that vision. We are committed to making India a fairer society and more productive society”. Rahul, who has also won from Rae Bareli in UP, also addressed the topic of quitting one of the two seats. Under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, an MP can represent only one seat at a time and in cases where a person is elected from two, they must let go of one.
On this topic, the Congress leader admitted that he had a “dilemma” before him. He, however, remained vague on which seat he would choose to keep.
Referring to the prime minister’s interview to CNN News-18 last month, in which the leader claimed that “he had been sent by God”, Rahul said: “The question is will I be a member of Wayanad or will I be a member of Rae Bareli. Unfortunately, unlike the prime minister, I’m not guided by God. I’m a human being. For me, it’s much simpler. My God is the poor people of India. My God is the people of Wayanad. For me, it’s easy. I just talk to the people and my God tells me what to do. Back to the question of Wayanad or Rae Bareli, what I will commit to you is that both Wayanad and Rae Bareli will be happy with my decision.”
Continuing his criticism of Modi, Rahul said that, unlike the prime minister, he left his decisions on the “Paramathma (God)”.
“During elections, Modi said (his party would get) 400 and more seats. Later, 400 seats disappeared, then he said 300 seats. Then he said I am not biological and that after his mother died, he realised that he wasn’t a biological person.” He further said: “I don’t take any decisions. I’ve been put on the earth by the Paramathma and he makes all the decisions. Modiji has a strange Paramathma. His Paramathma makes him take all decisions in favour of Adani and Ambani. Paramathma tells Modi this morning that you are going to give Mumbai airport to Adani. Now, you have given seven airports. Now, you give power plants.” The fight in this election was about the Constitution, he said. “One side (there were) millions of Indian people saying that we want our tradition, we believe in our history, in our language and we will define our future. On the other side, the prime minister and Amit Shah, who said no,” he said.
The BJP-led government had a “fundamental misunderstanding”, Rahul said. “They thought that just because they have political power, the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department can dictate to the people of India what to do.
The people of Kerala, the people of UP and all other states have shown the prime minister that you cannot dictate to the people of India what we want.”
Through this election, the people of India had told them to “not touch the Constitution, which is our voice”. “Before elections, we heard BJP leaders saying that they will change the Constitution”, Rahul told the gathering. “After the elections, we saw the prime minister bowing before the Constitution. Hatred has been defeated by love and affection. Arrogance has been defeated by humility.” Through the election, the citizens of India had sent across the message that “every single tradition is going to be protected,” he went on to say. “In fact, the prime minister barely escaped in Varanasi. He would have been defeated in Varanasi. BJP was defeated in Ayodhya. Even the people of Ayodhya have sent a message to the BJP that we are against hatred.”
