Raiganj (West Bengal) [India], April 14 : Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday paid a floral tribute to Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar at an election rally in West Bengal's Raiganj on his 135th birth anniversary, and accused the BJP and the RSS of attempting to "destroy the Constitution."
Addressing the rally, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the BJP and the RSS attack the Constitution by placing their own people in institutions and stealing votes.
Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the framework of the interim trade deal with the United States, Gandhi alleged that he is controlled by President Donald Trump.
He said, "We are remembering Dr. Ambedkar today. Dr. Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru gave the country its Constitution. But today, the RSS-BJP's hate-filled ideology is trying to destroy the Constitution. RSS-BJP people cannot attack the Constitution directly, but by placing their own people in institutions and stealing votes, they are attempting to end democracy."
Recalling the Bharat Jodo Yatra in 2023, the Congress leader added, "During the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', we walked from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. Our fight is against the hate-filled ideology of RSS-BJP. We walked 4,000 kilometres and raised the slogan - 'Nafrat ke bazaar mein mohabbat ki dukan kholni hai' (we need to open a shop of love in the market of hate). We gave a message to the entire country that nothing will be achieved through hate, violence, or division. The country will move forward only through love and unity."
Taking a swipe at PM Modi over the trade deal with the US, Rahul Gandhi said that the Prime Minister cannot make eye contact with him.
"He is visiting Bengal these days. Look at his face. He cannot make eye contact with me. There was a debate going on in Parliament on the US deal. PM Narendra Modi, Union Ministers and BJP leaders are named in the Epstein files. So when Donald Trump asks Modi ji to jump, he jumps. The controller is in the hands of Donald Trump," he alleged.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi also attacked the ruling TMC and alleged that the industrial sector in the state was "finished" by the Left and the TMC governments.
"Earlier, Bengal was an industrial hub. Earlier, the communists and now the TMC finished the industrial sector in Bengal. PM Narendra Modi is corrupt anyway, but TMC is not lagging behind in the race of corruption either. Sharda Chit Fund Scam: 1,900 crore rupees of 17 lakh investors have not been returned. Rose Valley Chit Fund Scam: 6,600 crore rupees of 31 lakh investors have not been returned yet," he said.
Congress has fielded Mohit Sengupta in the Raiganj Assembly constituency and TMC's sitting MLA and West Bengal minister, Krishna Kalyani. Kalyani won the seat on the BJP ticket in 2021 and later joined the TMC. The BJP has fielded Kaushik Chowdhury to win back the seat.
Congress, which could not open its seat tally in the last elections, is eyeing to make a mark in the high-voltage clash between the TMC and the BJP.
Polling for the West Bengal Assembly elections will take place in two phases on April 23 and 29, with counting of votes on May 4.