Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said thousands of crores had been spent to create a false impression about him whereas the truth was that he had always stood for values and ideas that disturbed the RSS-BJP and some other forces.
Responding to a question about his experiences during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, where people of all ages and classes have showered affection on him despite his image of a “non-serious politician”, the Congress leader said: “The thing to understand is that I stand, and I always stood, for certain ideas that of course disturb the RSS-BJP and some other forces.”
Alleging that thousands of crores had been spent to misuse the media’s energy “in trying to shape me in a way that is untruthful, wrong”, Rahul said: “That machine is going to continue. That machine is very well oiled, financially very rich. My truth is different; it has always been different. Those people who look carefully will see what I stand for and what my truth is.”
The BJP, its ecosystem and sections of the media have portrayed Rahul as “Pappu”, or a dimwit, and a reluctant politician. Distorted and edited videos are often used to nurse this propaganda. Senior politicians as well as a huge troll army have used various social media platforms to sustain this narrative despite Rahul’s consistent ideological position and pro-poor politics.
Even during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the BJP has frequently tried to discredit him through lies instead of engaging with the serious issues raised by him.
Addressing a media conference at Turuvekere in Karnataka on Saturday, Rahul said: “Of course, there is a political element to it but for me this Yatra is a tapasya. I, by nature, believe in tapasya. I wanted an element of suffering for myself. Didn’t want it to be easy. This way, I can share the sufferings of the people. It has made the communication better; people speak more clearly and honestly. They say, ‘Dekho, sadak pe chal raha hai (Look, he is walking on the road)’.”
Rahul said the walkathon had helped him get closer to the masses, and the people, too, felt emboldened to express themselves. “I see in the political system a distance that has developed between the political class and our citizens. The idea for me was to go right onto the road, physically close to the people. This is very different from going in a car or by plane or reaching out to them through the media.”
Rahul said vested interests in the media often distorted what he said, but that was not possible in the case of direct conversations with the people.
Describing the Yatra as a powerful experience, he said: “It has just begun, barely 31 days. Not even begun really. But I can see already the advantages of this type of communication. I always believe there is lots of wisdom in our people. It has been a learning experience for me as well.”
The Congress leader emphatically said: “The BJP is singularly spreading hatred, dividing the nation. People are tired of the type of politics that is being done. This is not only the expression of the Congress; lakhs and lakhs of people who are participating in the Bharat Jodo Yatra are saying so. People are tired of divisive politics, people are tired of rising unemployment and prices, people are tired of the concentration of wealth in a few hands.”
Asked about the perception that the election for Congress president was a farce because the Nehru-Gandhi family would remote-control whoever wins, Rahul said: “Election is taking place. I don’t want to give my opinion on this election. Both the people who are standing have a position, have a perspective, and are people of stature and people of understanding. So I don’t think either of them is going to be remote-controlled. I think this tone is insulting to both of them.”
Asked about the BJP’s charge that a party responsible for the partition of India cannot talk of uniting the country, he said: “Last I recall, it was the leaders of the Congress party who fought the British, spent years in jail. Gandhi, Nehru, Patel… all of them gave their lives fighting the British. In my understanding, the RSS was helping the British. They were nowhere to be seen in the freedom struggle. Savarkar used to get a stipend. The party that created the mass movement for independence was the Congress.”
