Congress leader Rahul Gandhi initiated the party's campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections with a grand rally in Nagpur, coinciding with the celebration of the party's 139th foundation day. During the rally, Rahul Gandhi shared insights from a private conversation with a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament, formerly associated with the Congress. According to Gandhi, the BJP MP conveyed that a sense of 'ghulami' (slavery) prevailed within the BJP, emphasizing the strict adherence to orders from the top and the apparent lack of autonomy for party workers.
In his address at the 'Hain Taiyaar Hum' rally in Nagpur, Gandhi highlighted the MP's claim that despite being in the BJP, his heart still resonated with the Congress. The MP purportedly expressed the challenge of dissent within the BJP, where adherence to top-down directives was obligatory, leaving little room for independent decision-making.
Rahul Gandhi also touched upon the broader context of institutional pressures, asserting that various institutions, including central probe agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), faced government influence.
Referencing an incident involving Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, Gandhi narrated how Patole's inquiry about the allocation of GST to farmers to Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly led to his removal. The Congress leader argued that this episode exemplified the stifling of dissent within the political landscape.
The 'Hain Taiyaar Hum' rally featured addresses from other prominent figures, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Sonia Gandhi. The event marked the beginning of Congress's electoral campaign, setting the stage for the Lok Sabha elections in the coming year.
