Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that the BJP is trying to distract people from the idea of caste census by triggering controversies through its lawmakers, adding that the Karnataka Assembly elections was a lesson that the BJP wins elections by “distracting and not allowing us to construct our narrative”.
Gandhi was speaking at a tete-a-tete session with Director of Pratidin Media Network, Rishi Baruah at ‘The Conclave 2023’ held at The Ashok in New Delhi.
Gandhi was asked regarding the upcoming state elections, to which he asserted that Congress is "probably winning" Telangana, “certainly winning” Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and “very close” in Rajasthan which “we think we’ll be able to win”.
“We learned a very important lesson in Karnataka, and the lesson was that the BJP wins elections by distracting and not allowing us to construct our narrative,” Gandhi said.
“And so what we did in Karnataka, we fought the election in a way where the BJP could not define the narrative. What you're seeing today, Bidhuri, and then suddenly this Nishikant Dubey, this is all the BJP trying to distract from the idea of the caste census,” he added.
The former Congress president further asserted that there is a surprise awaiting the BJP in 2024.
Gandhi also said the Congress is controlling the narrative in the states where the elections are due later this year, claiming that the BJP “put in thousands of crores of rupees” to control it during the Bharat Jodo Yatra but couldn't it.
He added that the opposition is “60% of India's population” and “BJP is in for a surprise in 2024,”
Furthermore, Gandhi also took a jibe at billionaire Gautam Adani, terming him as a “friendly monopolist” created by the BJP for personal gains. He also alleged that there is a massive concentration of wealth which is being generated to and only for the BJP.
“The BJP has basically created a friendly monopolist. His name is Mr Adani and I assume your heard his name. They have created this gentleman and are essentially handing over the key industries of our country to this gentleman and he controls a significant chunk of the media in this country. There are other monopolists, but this man is the main gentleman,” he said.
“There is a massive concentration of wealth that is gentleman has and there is a huge amount of money that the BJP is generating from this. There is media control, there is financial control. Please go and ask any businessman in India what happens to them if they support an Opposition party!” he added.
Gandhi further said that there is an apparent “media and financial attack” they are facing, but the new alliance is banded together and understands what is at stake. He also stated why the acronym INDIA was chosen for their alliance.
“If they were to write a cheque for any opposition party, ask them what happens to them. So we are facing a financial attack, a media attack and we're doing pretty well...We are not fighting now a political party, we are fighting the Indian state and we are fighting to defend the idea of India. And that is why we have given our name INDIA."