I am not Rahul Savarkar, will never apologise for truth: Rahul Gandhi at mega Congress rally

Rahul Gandhi on Saturday tore into the Narendra Modi government over various issues including the controversial Citizenship Act.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at Ramlila Maidan. (Photo | Shekhar Yadav, EPS)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at Ramlila Maidan. (Photo | Shekhar Yadav, EPS)

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Saturday tore into the Narendra Modi government over various issues including the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019.

Rahul Gandhi said, "I was asked to apologise in the Parliament yesterday by the BJP members. They tell me to apologise for the correct thing. I am not Rahul Savarkar, my name is Rahul Gandhi. I will never apologise for the truth. Neither will any party worker apologise," over his 'Rape in India' remarks.

Addressing 'Bharat Bachao Rally' at Ramlila Maidan in national capital, former party chief accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of burning the northeast with the Citizenship Amendment Act. 

He also called Narendra Modi a liar. "Demonetisation was a fraud. Narendra Modi lied to you at the time of demonetisation. He lied to you by saying he will fight against corruption. He snatched the money from your pockets and put it in the pockets of Adani and Ambani, " he said.

Attacking the government over the economic crisis, Rahul said, "The strength of this country was its economy, many countries looked at us and they wondered how we reached 9 per cent GDP. And now, today they are holding onion, which is being sold at Rs 200 per kg."

On the violence in North Eastern states following passage of CAB and the clampdown in Jammu and Kashmir after the revocation of Article 370, he said, "Go to Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Nagaland, Tripura. They have burnt Assam. They work to divide the country and weaken the country. For power, Modi can do anything."

Prior to Rahul Gandhi, his sister and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also took pot-shots at the Narendra Modi government.

Addressing the Bharat Bachao rally here at Ramlila ground, Priyanka Gandhi said: "This law (Citizenship Act) will become the reason for the division of the country. If we don't raise voice now, the country will be further divided. If you love the country, then raise your voice against it."

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Priyanka Gandi said, "Laws are being passed which are unconstitutional."

Mocking the BJP government over its slogan of 'Modi hai to mumkin hai' (If Modi is there everything is possible), she said, "In newspapers or at bus stops, we see the advertisements that Modi hai to mumkin hai, but reality is that under Modi government, onion is selling at Rs 100 per kg, unemployment is at 45-year high, economy is in doldrums, Navratna PSUs are being sold, Indian Railways is being privatised and 15,000 farmers have committed suicide. This is possible only under the Modi government."

Evoking her father's memory while talking about Unnao rape victim, who was burnt alive by the rape accused, Priyanka said, "The blood of the Unnao daughter has mixed with the country, much like my father's blood," she said.

She also hit out at the government over the economic crisis and said that in six years of Modi government, the economy has only gone downward.

"Our economy was developing at a rate that the world turned their attention to, but in six years of the Modi government, our economy has tanked, people are losing jobs, factories are shutting down," she said.

The protest rally comes amid an economic slowdown and raging protests across the northeast and in West Bengal over the Citizenship Amendment Act.

(With inputs from IANS, ENS)

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