Shri Rahul Gandhi’s Media interaction during his Wayanad Visit

When you crush the press, when you take over institutions, when you incite people against each other, you are weakening India Excerpts from Question/Answer session on 20th October, 2020, at Wayanad, Kerala

On a question about Shri Farooq Abdullah facing ED, Shri Rahul Gandhi said- we have seen a tendency now for the current Government to use agencies as political weapons. If somebody is not doing what they want political, across the board, they feel (BJP) they can use the CBI and the ED to pressurize them, to threaten them, to hurt them. This is something that not only Mr. Farooq Abdullah but, many-many-many people are facing. I am personally facing this assault. I have number of cases against me and there are many leaders who are facing this assault. This is tragic because it is going to destroy these institutions. These institutions are designed to give justice to the people of India; they are not designed to be political instruments. So, I do not appreciate using CBI and ED to do your political work. They are India’s instruments; they are not personal instruments of the Prime Minister. And, they should be treated as such.

On another question about former CM Shri Kamal Nath, Shri Rahul Gandhi said- I tell you my view on this. I was stopped from going to Hathras by the Government of Uttar Pradesh, because a young girl was raped and killed. I think, one cannot treat women with disrespect. Kamal Nath Ji is from my party, but I don’t like personally the type of language that Kamal Nath Ji has used, and I don’t appreciate it, I think, it is unfortunate.

But, as a General Statement, I think our treatment of the women for this country at all levels has a lot to be improved. There is a lot to be improved, whether it is in law and order, whether it is in just basic respects, whether it is in how much space they are accorded in business, in Government, in other area. I think, our women are our pride, I think they should be protected, and I don’t appreciate this type of language, regardless of who is using it.

On another question that Jyotiraditya said that Congress never respects women, Shri Rahul Gandhi said- Please, take a look at our record; take a look at our record right from the freedom struggle. Our record is very clear, it is open and in fact, I have just made a statement here against something that one of our leaders made. I don’t think Mr. Scindia or anybody else would make this type of statement about his leadership. I believe Kamal Nath Ji has already said that his statement was unfortunate.

On another question about China, Shri Rahul Gandhi said- Our position on that is pretty clear, we have made it very-very clear. We believe that uniting the people of India is what strengthens this country. We believe that all people should be brought together, all people should be respected, and we feel that when you divide the people of this country like the BJP does, you strengthen our opponents.

BJP needs to reflect on why the Chinese have the power to be sitting inside Indian Territory today. The Chinese have taken more than 1,200 square kilometers of Indian Territory. The BJP needs to think about why? What has given the Chinese this strength? I tell you what has given the Chinese this strength. Chinese have got the strength of sitting inside of India because the BJP has destroyed India’s economy, because they have mishandled Covid, because that given every opportunity they divide this country, because they take decisions without asking the people of this country and that is why, we have a foreign power, occupying 1,200 square kilometers of our land and we have our Prime Minister lying to our nation about this occupation.

The Prime Minister has himself said and this is a lie that nobody has taken any land from this country. The Army is negotiating with the Chinese, the army believes otherwise, the Defence Ministry believes otherwise. Butthe Prime Minister is not able to face the reality that his mis-governance, his incompetence has allowed the foreign power to take over 1,200 square kilometers of our country. And one of the big reasons this is happening, is because wherever the Prime Minister goes, he weakens this country’s basic structure.

When you crush the press, when you take over institutions, when you incite people against each other, you are weakening India. It is very important that every Indian understands this that when we are united, we are strong. When we are united, nobody can challenge us. When we are divided, when we are fighting amongst each other, we are weak and then you will have things like what is happening currently.

On another question that PM is addressing the nation today, what do you think he will say, Shri Rahul Gandhi said- I am not a soothe-sayer. I don’t have the ability to predict these type of things, but, I can say that the real challenge is in front of the country, I mean, what I would like to hear from the Prime Minister is, when are the Chinese going to leave Indian Territory. This is shocking to me. I don’t think, there is any other country in the world today, where a foreign power can take 1,200 square kilometers of the country and they have no answer from the leadership. There is no country in the world where if their Territory has been taken, the Prime Minister can simply say- it never happened. So, what I would like the Prime Minister to tell us- the nation, is when are the Chinese going to be thrown out of Indian territory? What is the date by which the Chinese soldiers are going to be kicked out from India, that is what I want to know. But I guarantee you that Prime Minister would not have the guts to say that. I tell you right now that the Prime Minister will not say one word about the Chinese. He will not be able to say the word ‘China’. Let’s see if I am wrong. Thank you.