At the INDIA bloc meeting held in New Delhi on June 8, Rahul Gandhi emphasized the importance of unity among alliance partners and urged them to believe in their ability to defeat the BJP.
He asserted that, state after state and election after election, the BJP would eventually be defeated, regardless of whether the contests were conducted fairly or marred by irregularities. "Let me tell you, it is easy to beat them if we stand together and resist," he said.
The meeting was boycotted by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which had earlier indicated that it could no longer continue as part of the INDIA bloc following the Congress party's decision to exit the alliance in Tamil Nadu.
Urging opposition parties to avoid internal conflicts and present a united front, he argued that the challenge extended beyond winning elections to safeguarding the integrity of democratic processes. According to him, public discontent with the government was already widespread, but concerns remained about the fairness of future electoral contests.
Rahul Gandhi said the BJP will not last, because, in his view, it had undermined democratic institutions and compromised the future of the Indian people.
He dismissed claims that opposition parties lack coordination, describing them as a narrative promoted by the BJP. He expressed confidence that alliance partners, including the DMK, would stand united when it came to defending the idea of India.
While acknowledging political differences among opposition parties and ongoing regional rivalries, he argued that such disagreements should not overshadow broader common objectives. Gandhi urged opposition leaders to remain flexible and united, contending that there was a concerted effort to portray the opposition as weak and divided.
"We are fundamentally opposed to the vision of the RSS. We will die — we will die in the Congress Party — before we stand with or compromise with the BJP or the RSS. You will have to cut off our heads to make it happen. I know lakhs and lakhs of Congress workers in this country who will say: cut off our heads, we will not bow before the RSS."
Rahul Gandhi argued that democratic institutions were increasingly being brought under the influence of the BJP and the RSS, making conventional political engagement less effective. Drawing a parallel with the Congress party’s transformation during the freedom movement, he said the party must now see itself not merely as a political organisation but as a resistance movement.
He maintained that resistance, rather than institutional mechanisms, would be the most effective response to perceived injustice and democratic erosion. Citing his experience during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi said sustained public mobilisation could bring about change even without the support of traditional political structures.
Referring to issues such as education policy, competitive examinations, environmental concerns, and mass outreach campaigns, Gandhi described resistance as a broad-based civic and political effort. He concluded by pledging to endure criticism and personal setbacks in the interest of strengthening opposition unity, describing the cause as a moral and deeply personal commitment rather than a purely political one.
"We have to go into the mode of resistance. Resistance is CBSE. Resistance is NEET. Resistance is going to Great Nicobar. Resistance is the Bharat Jodo Yatra," he said.