LONDON: Stepping up his attack on the Narendra Modi government, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has alleged in London that the judiciary, the election commission and the Reserve Bank of India are being “torn apart” under the Centre.

He also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming he “insulted every Indian” by saying no development activity happened in the country the past 70 years. “He is not commenting (only) on Congress, he is insulting every person of the country,” Gandhi said while addressing members of the Indian Overseas Congress. The added that Dalits, farmers, tribal people, minorities and the poor in India have been told that they will not get anything, and “if they raise their voice, they are beaten up”. He added, “Today in India, people are discriminated against on the basis of caste and religion. The marginalised are being betrayed.”

Rahul has also been relectlessly attacking RSS during his UK visit, claiming it was behind a “systematic assault on freedom” in the country. “There is an attempt to impose an ideology on our country straight out of Nagpur (RSS headquarters) and control the Indian state through one organisation, RSS. They are trying to destroy the modern idea of India.” It is in context of this he had told students at the London School of Economics, “The opposition and I see our job as defending the Indian state”.

Rahul also claimed that media in India was being silenced. “Journalists are being or killed sacked because of what they write... it is not an India I recognise and it’s not an India most Indians will accept.”

In his address to a business gathering, he said, “You would be surprised at the mood of the business community in India. They expected a tremendous amount from Modi and pretty much all of them are coming to us now and saying they are going to support us. They are terrified to say it publicly so they don’t tell anyone. There is immense pressure from CBI and ED on these businesses. But they understand the value of an open system and harmony and they are feeling the pain that is being caused.”

Explaining why he had entered politics, Rahul said, “In the 90s, certain things started to disturb me, the trajectory of India on certain parameters. Division was a factor. Divisions I could see developing that are now crystallised and I consider a threat to India,” Rahul said,

Speaking on his political development, the Congress president said, “BJP and RSS have given me a tremendous gift by relentlessly attacking me on every front again and again. (In this way), they have developed me. So I have to thank them for doing that.”

