Friends, the leader of the opposition (LOP) in Parliament Rahul Gandhi is on a visit to the USA, and there he is giving statements showing India in very poor light. Even the media in the USA to a certain extent was perplexed and one San Francisco based Newspaper headline said whether “ Rahul Gandhi is from India or Pakistan”. The correspondent wrote this because Rahul Gandhi was speaking about India, it sounded like an enemy of India can only speak that.
As per this newspaper, Rahul Gandhi said that Muslims are being attacked in India, he also said that what is now happening with Muslims in India, happened to Dalits in 1980. It is worth mentioning that in 1980, India was ruled by the Congress party. Rahul also said the way Muslims are being attacked in India, similarly Sikh, Christian, Dalit and tribal communities are also being attacked.
The LOP also whipped up a political storm, in an another event in Virginia (USA), with his remarks on the state of religious freedom in India, citing the example of Sikhs. He said “ The fight in India is about whether a Sikh is going to be allowed to wear a turban—whether a Sikh will be allowed to wear a Kada or go to the Gurudwara. That’s what the fight is about, and it is not just for Sikhs, but for all religions”.
This remarks by Rahul Gandhi drew sharp criticism from the ruling BJP. Their spoke person commented and told Rahul to recall “how Sikhs were butchered after the assassination of then PM Indira Gandhi, when your father made a comment that why nothing has happened to Sikhs after her death. More than 3000 Sikhs were massacred in Delhi, their turbans were taken off, and beards shaved”. And what was your father Rajiv Gandhi’s comment after the Sikhs were butchered “ When big tree falls, earth shakes and some damage happens to the surroundings”.
The BJP’s spoke person accused Rahul Gandhi for overlooking Congress party’s own history with Sikh community. He further challenged Rahul Gandhi to repeat his remarks on Indian soil, and gave warning of legal repercussions.
A Senior Union Minister belonging to Sikh community, strongly criticized Rahul Gandhi over his recent comments on Sikh community at an event in the USA. He said “ I am wearing a turban for sixty years and Kada even longer. I am not just a proud Sikh, but I am also proud of the fact that the present government has gone out of the way to address the issues concerning Sikh community. Sikhs have never felt safer and more honoured than they do now”. In contrast, the minister pointed to a period of insecurity during the rule of Rahul Gandhi’s family, referring to 1984 anti-Sikh riots that took place under Congress rule.
To me it looks like, Rahul Gandhi remarks have put the Congress party in a very bad position, and their other senior leaders will find it very difficult to defend his remarks on Sikh community. Here are few of my observations on the Congress party’s policies concerning various communities:
1 Congress party, after the independence have been only appeasing the minority communities like Muslims and Christians. Their love for Muslims is in open now, whether it is Waqf board, their PM’s statement that Muslims have first right on country’s resources, paying salaries to Mosque employees, funding to Madrasas etc.
2 Income from Churches, and Mosques are with them , whereas income from Hindu temples are controlled by government. The law was passed under Congress party rule.
3 Congress party allowed unaccountable foreign funding through NGOs for Muslim and Catholic communities. It has now come in to open that many Muslim NGOs used part of these overseas funding for anti national activities, and many Catholic NGOs used part of these funding for converting Hindus to Christianity.
4 Under the Congress party rule, the Jawaharlal National University (JNU) was given open hand to promote leftist parties’ propaganda, which in the end became anti national agenda.
5 Now Rahul Gandhi is talking whether Sikhs will be allowed to follow the principle and religion of Sikhism under present regime. Can Rahul Gandhi highlight few incidents where the present government has done anything, which has affected the Sikh community in practicing their religion.
6 We all know, the Congress party’s soft corner towards Islamic terrorists, and their anti India activities in the country.
There are many more incidents, which will show Congress party’s love for Muslims, and Catholics, but I can not recall any incidents where they have shown their love and regard for Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist religions and communities following these religions, unless it is for gathering some electoral votes.
In the end, it has become habit of Rahul Gandhi to speak against the country whenever he goes abroad, showing his mindset against the ruling party and the present PM, but he fail to realize that by degrading India when he is abroad, is also putting him in bad light among world leaders, who will think that a person who can not respect and safeguard his country in the world’s eyes, how can he lead the country? I dread to think even, what would have happened to our country, if UPA had retained the power in 2014 and Rahul Gandhi had become PM.
It is high time, the other senior leaders of the Congress party realize that doing chamchagiri of Rahul Gandhi, and giving senseless statements like him, are not going to take them far in Indian politics.
Waiting for your feedback on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
11th September 2024