Camp: Bardoli, Gujarat

Date: 8th February, 2014

Time: 4 pm

Rahul Gandhi addresses Gujarat rally: BJP follows RSS ideology that killed Mahatma Gandhi

Bardoli: Rahul Gandhi today addressed a huge rally at Gujarat’s Bardoli and took on the BJP saying it represents RSS ideology

which has killed Mahatma Gandhi. He also took an indirect dig at Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP’s prime ministerial candidate

Narendra Modi and said that while the people work hard for development in the state, just one person takes the entire credit.

“The BJP leaders here talk about Sardar Patel and say they will l make his statue. But these people don't know history. They

haven’t read any books on the ideologies of Gandhi ji and Sardar Patel ji. They know nothing. .. Sardar Patel said that RSS is a

poisonous ideology which will destroy the soul of India. The BJP leaders spend their entire life with RSS. They neither know

about Patel nor they read about him, but want to build his statue” said Rahul Gandhi.

“It was the RSS ideology that killed Mahatma Gandhi. After the assassination of Gandhi ji, Sardar Patel had moved a resolution to

ban the RSS. Sardar Patel gave his entire life for the Congress party and fought for the rights of the poor. But these leaders in BJP

never read about it, never thought about it but want to build his statue!” he added.

Slamming Modi’s claims on Gujarat development, the Congress Vice President said, “BJP makes big gains in education sector.

13000 govt schools were shut down in Gujarat, but this is never mentioned by its leaders anywhere” and continued, “..In

Gujarat, just one person has the entire power. No one else has any power or rights... We want to give people their rights. But

here the government runs for selected people. We fight for the people, the farmers, Adivasis and the poor. This is the difference

between us and BJP”. “Gujarat progressed due to the sweat of its people, not because of one man's efforts. People of Gujarat

worked hard and he takes the credit for it” he commented.

Launching a sccathing attack on BJP’s stance on corruption, Rahul Gandhi said, “Who stopped appoint of Lokayukta in Gujarat?

The BJP govt spent Rs 40 crores to block Lokayukta appointment. Modi govt did not let lokyukta pass in Gujarat for nine years.

Entire world knows it; entire women know it. Gujarat cabinet has three convicted persons as ministers. Still they talk too much

on corruption”.

“I want to make it clear that Gujarat does not have the government of poor people. It does not work for the upliftment of the

poor and Adivasis and their voices are not heard. Only handful of people runs the government and works for the elite” asserted

Rahul Gandhi.

“While we talk about eradicating poverty, BJP talks about eradicating the poor people. We talk about providing the poor with

jobs, food, health and education. Indira Gandhi said ‘gareebi hataao’ but BJP wants ‘gareeb hataao”. This is the difference”

further said the Congress leader.

When someone from the crowd made the ‘chaai waala’ comment, Rahul Gandhi immediately shot back, “The entire India does

some work. Some make tea, some drive taxi's, some are farmers. We need to respect everyone. We have to respect chai wala,

labourer or farmer. Respect everyone.. But not the one who makes fool of us” and the huge crowd greeted it with loud

applauds.

Full text of the speech of Rahul Gandhi at Bardoli, Gujarat

I congratulate the Congress and the Youth Congress for the successful Vikas Khoj Yatra which already travelled more than 600

km. This is the pious land of Sardar Patel and Gandhi ji. Gandhi ji and Sardar Patel ji gave the Congress its ideology – the ideology

of love and brotherhood, the ideology of inclusiveness. Both Gandhi Ji and Patel Ji practised what they preached. They were

honest.

The leaders in the government here talk about Sardar Patel and say they will l make his statue. But these people don't know

history. They haven’t read any books on the ideologies of Gandhi ji and Sardar Patel ji. They know nothing. I just want to tell you

what Sardar Patel had said about RSS.

Sardar Patel said that RSS is a poisonous ideology which will destroy the soul of India. The BJP leaders spend their entire life

with RSS. They neither know about Patel nor they read about him, but want to build his statue.

It was the RSS ideology that killed Mahatma Gandhi. After the assassination of Gandhi ji, Sardar Patel had moved a resolution to

ban the RSS. Sardar Patel gave his entire life for the Congress party and fought for the rights of the poor. But these leaders in BJP

never read about it, never thought about it but want to build his statue!

Modi ji speaks whatever comes to his mind, even if it's not true. Now he campaigns for a ‘Congress-mukt-Bharat’. I had said it in

my speech at AICC too that Congress is not a party but it is a thought. Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel shaped the Congress'

ideology. Now, they (the BJP) want to wipe out that same ideology from the country. On one side BJP wants to finish this

thought, but on the other side it wants to build statue.

Gandhi ji and Patel ji reside in our hearts. Their ideology is in our minds. We never gave our life to RSS but we live for the

Congress party, for the poor.

BJP leaders roam around the country and talk loud about corruption but they do not see the rampant corruption in Gujarat.

Congress brought RTI to the entire nation. According to RTI Act, there should be 10 information commissioners in every state.

Gujarat has just one, that too after a court order. It was the Congress who got the Lokpal Bill passed in the Parliament.

Who stopped appoint of Lokayukta in Gujarat? The BJP govt spent Rs 40 crores to block Lokayukta appointment. Modi govt did

not let lokyukta pass in Gujarat for nine years. Entire world knows it; entire women know it. Gujarat cabinet has three

convicted persons as ministers. Still they talk too much on corruption.

There are six bills on corruption pending in Parliament. But BJP is not serious to pass it. I requested several times to help us pass

those bills. If BJP is really against corruption why not help Congress pass the 6 bills lying in Parliament? Congress is ready to pass

it. But BJP leaders are silent now on this matter.

BJP talks about development and welfare of farmers. Who has fought for the farmers and their land? Who waived off the debts

worth Rs 70000 crore of the poor farmers? It is the Congress, which did so. It is the Congress which enacted Land Acquisition

Act.

What is happening in Gujarat? Around 6000 farmers committed suicide. Representatives of 40000 Sikh farmers came to me,

with tears in their eyes, complaining about the threat of eviction from Gujarat. The BJP’s ally Akali Dal in Punjab did not utter a

word on this. Here farmers are burdened with the debt worth of Rs 170000. Still, BJP claims development!

Congress brought 14 crore people out of poverty line. Probably, this happened for the first time in our history. But here, now a

person earns Rs. 11 a day is not a poor! BJP govt has redefined the poverty line in this manner! There are about 38 lakh families

are below this new line. Still BJP says that Gujarat is shining.

The Gujarat government is run by the rich and for the rich. There are planes flying high here, but farmers are starving and

committing suicide. Adivasis are also struggling. But BJP leaders roam around and make big claims on development. They

promise to build statues.

BJP makes big gains in education sector. 13000 govt schools were shut down in Gujarat, but this is never mentioned by its

leaders anywhere.

We gave you rights by implementing schemes like MNREGA, RTI, Food Security Bill. We did so to empower you. We know that

our country cannot develop without empowering its people.

But here in Gujarat, just one person has the entire power. No one else has any power or rights. The Assembly runs for just 10-15

days. We want to give people their rights. But here the government runs for selected people. We fight for the people, the

farmers, Adivasis and the poor. This is the difference between us and BJP.

I want to make it clear that Gujarat does not have the government of poor people. It does not work for the upliftment of the

poor and Adivasis and their voices are not heard. Only handful of people runs the government and works for the elite.

55,000 small businesses were shut in Gujarat but no one talks about it. We gave you Rs 55000 crore package under ‘Van Bandhu

Kalyan Yojana’. Did any one of you get any benefit? BJP leaders promised welfare of Adivasis but did nothing. A package of

around Rs.42,000 croe was announced during the Modi’s sadbhavna yarta. Someone sent an RTI query and it came out that no

money was ever allocated.

Gujarat progressed due to the sweat of its people, not because of one man's efforts. People of Gujarat worked hard and he

takes the credit for it. Now he wants to make a statute!

You need a government of the poor and of aam aadmi. While we talk about eradicating poverty, BJP talks about eradicating the

poor people. We talk about providing the poor with jobs, food, health and education. Indira Gandhi said ‘gareebi hataao’ but BJP

wants ‘gareeb hataao”. This is the difference. We will empower the poor. We will bring more people to the middle class.

The entire India does some work. Some make tea, some drive taxi's, some are farmers. We need to respect everyone. We have

to respect chai wala, labourer or farmer.. respect everyone.. but not the one who makes fool of us.

Jai Hind