Rahul Gandhi slams BJP at conclave in London, says `India not in a good place, PM Modi doesn`t listen`

Speaking at the `Ideas for India` conclave in London, the Congress leader said that there is an attack on the Constitution of India and the result of this attack is that the states of India are `no longer able to negotiate with the government`.

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday (May 20, 2022) slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre and said that "India is not in a good place" and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi "doesn't listen". Speaking at the "Ideas for India" conclave in London, Rahul Gandhi said that there is an attack on the Constitution of India and the result of this attack is that the states of India are no longer able to negotiate with the government.

He attacked the "deep state" that is causing damage and declared that Congress's ideology is geared up to fight it.

"Please realize, what the BJP does is shout and stifle voices. What we do is listen. They are two different things, they are two different designs," Rahul Gandhi said.

"The Prime Minister must have an attitude that 'I want to listen' and from there everything flows down. But our Prime Minister doesn't listen," he said.

"We believe India is a negotiation between its people. The BJP and the RSS believe India is a `Sone Ki Chidiya` whose benefits should be distributed to a few. We believe everyone should have equal access," Gandhi added.

Joined at the conference by Opposition leaders, including CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury, RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, and TMC's Mahua Moitra, the former Congress chief warned of "kerosene all over the country and all it needs is one spark".

Rahul Gandhi also lauded the efforts of his party and said, "The Congress is fighting polarisation. We are holding a position that brings people together. The Congress and other Opposition parties in India are doing that."

Highlighting that democracy in India is a global public good, he said that it is a central anchor for the planet. 

"Democracy in India is a global public good. It is a central anchor for the planet. Because we are the only people who have managed democracy at the scale that we have. If that cracks, it is going to cause a problem for the planet," he said.

While in the UK, Gandhi is also set to interact with students at Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge, on Monday at an event entitled "India at 75".

(With agency inputs)