Politics is being used to crush people, says Congress chief Rahul Gandhi

NEW DELHI: “Like many Indians across the country, I'm an idealist”, said Rahul Gandhi on Saturday after taking over as Congress president from his mother Sonia Gandhi , who held the post for 19 years.During his first speech as the Congress president , Rahul reflected on the prevailing political atmosphere in the country and launched an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi."Congress took India to 21st century, but the PM, today, is taking us back to the medieval times," he said without naming PM Modi.The Congress president took a swipe at the PM and said that he alone has become the "voice of reason"."We are now being compelled to imagine that businesses can be built without harmony, that only one man himself is the voice of reason. Expertise, experience and knowledge can be cast aside for personal glory", he said.He further cautioned BJP against "setting the nation on fire" and alleged that the latter is responsible for spreading violence across the country."You have an example in front of you, once fire breaks out it is difficult to douse it, that is what we are telling the people of BJP, that if you set the nation on fire it will be difficult to control. Today BJP has spread the fire of violence across the country", he said.He asked the workers and leaders of the party to step forward and stall BJP's "attempts to spread violence"."And if there is anyone who can stop what the BJP is doing, it is the 'pyara karyakarta and neta' of Congress. We are going to make Congress, grand old and young party. We will fight the politics of anger", he added.Rahul received the Certificate of Election from the party's Central Election Authority president Mullapally Ramachandran at a ceremony at the AICC headquarters in Delhi, which effectively completed his transition from vice president to president.The ceremony was attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh , current and former chief ministers, MPs, senior Congress leaders, and all PCC chiefs and delegates, as well as his sister Priyanka and brother-in-law Robert Vadra.