Rahul Gandhi’s Speech Portions Expunged Amid BJP Communal Division Accusation
New Delhi, 2nd July 2024: During his speech in the Lok Sabha on Monday, several segments of Rahul Gandhi’s address were removed after he accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of causing divisions among people along communal lines. The expunged portions included references to Hinduism and criticisms of PM Narendra Modi, BJP, and RSS, among others. In a forceful critique of the BJP, the Leader of Opposition accused the ruling party’s leaders of fostering communal divisions, prompting strong protests from members of the government benches. Prime Minister Narendra Modi rebuked the Congress leader for labeling the entire Hindu community as violent.
During the hour and forty-minute speech, Rahul Gandhi held up images of Lord Shiva, Guru Nanak, and Jesus Christ, citing them alongside Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Jainism to emphasize the importance of fearlessness. He highlighted the teachings of these figures and stressed the message of “daro mat, darao mat (do not be scared, do not scare others)”. As protests erupted from the treasury benches, Gandhi criticized the BJP, stating, “You do not uphold Hindu values. Hinduism clearly advocates standing with truth without fear.”
Prime Minister Modi intervened twice during Gandhi’s speech, emphasizing the seriousness of the issue and rejecting the characterization of the Hindu community as violent.
