Hyderabad: Addressing the Bharat Summit, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi launched a fierce critique of the ruling government, declaring that Indian democracy has been systematically dismantled and is no longer functioning.
Opening his address by welcoming international delegates, Gandhi issued an apology to several global guests who were barred from attending by the government, noting that it reflects the harsh realities of the current political environment.
Gandhi asserted that the world is divided between a small minority of arrogant, loud-voiced individuals who believe they know everything—whom he termed “fascists”—and a vast majority of compassionate people who listen, ask questions, and practice humility.
Reflecting on a decade of political shock following the 2014 elections, he argued that the traditional economic model has collapsed and been replaced by an unhealthy fusion of politics and business. The senior Congress leader targeted the integrity of recent electoral processes, claiming that democracy was severely compromised in 2024.
He pointed to figures indicating that 140 million voters—roughly 13 per cent of the electorate—were categorised as non-existent or illegal by the Election Commission, raising serious questions about the legitimacy of the general elections.
He further cited the stark political shift in Maharashtra, where an opposition victory in national polls was followed by a complete reversal in state assembly elections within three months, driven by the mysterious addition of seven million voters favouring the ruling party.
Despite facing mounting institutional pressure, including 45 legal cases filed against him, Gandhi emphasised that the opposition discovered a powerful counter-strategy during the historic “Bharat Jodo Yatra.”
Walking from Kanyakumari to Kashmir taught the party that a direct, unmediated connection with ordinary citizens is more powerful than any controlled media apparatus or state-backed machinery.
Reiterating that India’s democracy is a vital global public good for more than 1.5 billion people, Gandhi firmly stated that “Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be defeated.”
However, he stressed that the battle will not be fought with anger, hatred, or violence, but through the “eternal weapons of satya (truth) and ahimsa (non-violence).”
Concluding his address, Gandhi called on like-minded global allies to stand united against authoritarian trends, promising that the ruling administration will ultimately lose to love, compassion, and truth.
–IANS–
