Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "strangling" democracy and said it seems the country is being run not by a government but by a "criminal gang".

Gandhi's attack on the government came a day before the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance's (INDIA) public meeting at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan which the Congress has termed 'Loktantra Bachao Rally'.

In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "Narendra Modi wants to strangle democracy and take away the option from the people to choose a government of their choice." "On one hand, the BJP, which is doing 'chande ka dhanda', is running an 'extortion government' in the country, while on the other hand, by freezing the accounts of the main opposition party, putting chief ministers in jail and suppressing every independent voice, it is not allowing opposition to contest the polls in a fair manner," Gandhi said.

"Whoever is not with BJP - jail him. Whoever donates to BJP - bail him out. With the major opposition party - game of sending notices. For electoral bonds - blackmail," he said.

It seems the country is being run not by a government but by a "criminal gang", the former Congress chief said.

Sunday, the INDIA bloc is going to hold a big meeting in Delhi to tell the truth about this "liar, arrogant and corrupt government".

This fight is between BJP and the rights of the people, in which the INDIA bloc stand with the people, Gandhi said.

"INDIA's victory lies in the victory of democracy," he asserted.

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