Rahul—in US—says Indians lost fear of BJP after 2024 results
Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has said that people lost their fear of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party after the party failed to secure a majority in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. Speaking to the Indian community in Dallas, Texas, Gandhi said, "The fear of the BJP vanished," adding that "within minutes of the election result, nobody in India was scared of the BJP or the Prime Minister of India."
Gandhi interprets election results as public's triumph
Gandhi said the election outcome was not a personal or Congress victory but a testament to the will of the Indian people. He added that Indians had resisted what they saw as attempts by the government to undermine the Constitution and democratic values, declaring, "We are not going to accept an attack on our religion, on our state." Notably, this marked Gandhi's first interaction with the Indian diaspora since becoming Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha earlier this summer.
Gandhi emphasizes on India's diversity of ideas
Gandhi also talked about the ideological differences between the Congress and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). "The RSS believes that India is one idea, and we believe that India is a multiplicity of ideas," Gandhi said. He added that his vision of India includes participation from people of all backgrounds—regardless of caste, religion, language, or tradition. "This is the fight, and the fight was crystallized in the election...India clearly understood that the Prime Minister...was attacking the Constitution of India," he said.
'Campaign message on protection of Constitution...': Gandhi
The Rae Bareli MP also added that his campaign message focused on protecting India's Constitution deeply resonated with the public. "What people understood in the election clearly, and I saw it happening, was that when I raised the Constitution, people understood what I was saying," he said. He added, "Most importantly, what they understood was that anybody who is attacking the Constitution of India is also attacking our religious tradition."
Gandhi's 3 day US tour
Gandhi's US visit is part of a broader outreach effort that includes engaging with students at the University of Texas and US lawmakers. His three-day trip, from September 8 to 10, coincides with the upcoming US presidential election in November and the assembly elections in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir. During his visit, he will conduct several interactions in Washington DC and Dallas, including at Georgetown University and the University of Texas.
