Rahul Gandhi on Monday asked people to be prepared for long-drawn protests, asserted the current situation was working in the Opposition’s favour and claimed that many within the police and government agencies were unhappy with the administration’s actions.
“Two hundred officers from your government are in touch with us,” the leader of the Lok Sabha Opposition said in a message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the “Delhi Chalo” march to the Supreme Court.
“They are providing us with information. Within the ED, the CBI, and the ministry of external affairs — they are all feeding us information.”
Rahul, speaking to reporters at the Congress headquarters, said: “A public movement... has been under way in Delhi for the past four or five days. Resistance has existed for a long time — for 10, 12 or 13 years — but now it is fully crystallising….
“Why is the capital city of India in jail? Police are everywhere — 20,000 to 30,000 police personnel — you might think that this is a display of immense power. But our strategy is different.
“We want 20,000 or 30,000 police personnel standing on the streets. That is what we want, and the government is making a huge mistake. Because we want to show the country that the Narendra Modi government is protecting (chief election commissioner) Gyanesh Kumar.”
Police’s ‘questions’
“Within the police force, questions are being raised: ‘We are told to stop the youth, yet we are made to let RSS members roam freely’.... BJP goons and RSS goons are assaulting women...,” Rahul said.
“We are benefiting greatly from this, and I am happy to tell you that 50 per cent of the police personnel... are telling us that ‘What you are doing is right; keep at it’.
“Because the police, ITBP, CRPF, the people of India, and all the Opposition parties are on one side. Narendra Modi, (Union home minister) Amit Shah, (national security adviser) Ajit Doval, Gyanesh Kumar — these four or five people who are orchestrating the (vote) theft, who have hijacked India — they are on (the other) side, and this divide is widening.”
Rahul continued: “We are getting struck by batons. But it doesn’t matter.... The police are getting twice as tired as you are. The police have just as many questions in their minds as you do.
“They are asking themselves, ‘What is happening? Why are we protecting a thief like Gyanesh Kumar? Why are we protecting anti-nationals?’.... Let them stop us. That is how a nation is built.”
Shiva’s ‘tandava’
Asked whether he had a plan on how to get Gyanesh, Modi and Shah to resign, Rahul suggested that no plan was necessary.
“This is Shiva’s tandava. There is no planning involved in it. Today, we are going to the Supreme Court. Tomorrow, something else will happen. The idea is written up there. We just have to do that. There is no need for a plan,” he said.
“What do you think? We had made a plan at Akashvani Bhavan. The plan was to go by bus and just sit there. We would get arrested; the police wouldn’t let us proceed. We changed the plan.
“What yielded the result? The plan, or the non-plan?... There is no need for a plan. This dance is unfolding — Shiva’s tandava. Anyone can join Shiva’s wedding procession.”
Shiva’s tandava dance symbolises the cycle of creation, preservation and dissolution. His wedding process is considered unique because ghosts and spirits participated in it as his kin. Politically, it appears to imply that Rahul is open to all political streams joining the agitation.
‘Turn approver’
Rahul repeated his call to Gyanesh to “turn approver” against the government.
“Mr Gyanesh Kumar, we know the state you are in. We know you cannot sleep at night; but do not worry — we will not let you off the hook,” he said.
Asked if he received messages from Gyanesh, Rahul said he did.
“Messages do come, and he is watching this press conference.... Turn approver. You have committed a crime? And frankly, you are not the main criminal. You made a mistake…,” he said.
“You are not the mastermind…. We are after the people who are behind what you did. It is very easy for you: Resign and step aside. We might even consider forgiving you, because that would be a service to this nation.”
Rahul exhorted people to join INDIA bloc leaders’ march to the Supreme Court to file a petition against “vote theft”.
“Reach Connaught Place and become part of this march. If you can’t come, raise your voice from wherever you are!” he posted on X.
He said: “If people from the BJP also think that an attack is being made on the Constitution, then you come too.”