Farmers Movement Archive

China sees a 'weak India', says Rahul Gandhi, explains why Congress is not winning elections

In a live conversation with Ambassador Nicholas Burns of Harvard Kennedy School on Friday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said China is occupying Indian territory as "we speak" and this is because China sees a "weakened India, an India which is internally divided". "I am absolutely convinced that a strong India with a clear strategy will have no problem in dealing with China," Rahul said.Showing his iPhone, the Congress leader said the world's production battle has been won by China. "I don't see how India and the US are challenging this issue," he said.LIVE: My interaction with Ambassador Nicholas Burns from Harvard Kennedy School. https://t.co/KZUkRnLlDgTalking about Congress reforms, the Congress leader said not only the Congress, but no other party in India is winning elections. Taking the name of the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Nationalist Congress Party, he said, "To fight elections, I need institutional structures, I need a judicial system that protects me, I need a media that is reasonably free, I need financial parity, I need a whole set of structures that actually allow me to operate a political party. I don't have them. When one starts behaving like the BJP is doing, many people get discontented. The solution is to bring them together. But we have to remember that we are in a different paradigm now."On the EVM controversy in Assam elections, he said, "In Assam, the gentleman who runs our campaign has been sending videos of BJP candidates running around voting machines in their cars. But there is nothing going on in national media."On the farmers' protest, Rahul Gandhi said the agriculture sector needs to be reformed but it cannot be done without consulting the stakeholders. "When we were in the government, we had constant feedback. It amazes me how quickly we got feedback, whether from farmers, businessmen... That feedback loop is shut now. So farmers have no other way," he said, adding Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh wrote multiple letters asking the Centre to not pass the laws which have led to the stir.Drawing a parallel between the passage of farm laws in Parliament and the imposition of Coronavirus lockdown in March 2020, Rahul said, "This is all about how you run the country. All this comes from a belief that centralised power understands everything. The issue of lockdown was not discussed in the Cabinet. "On the economic front, Rahul said there is a need to jumpstart consumption in India by giving money in the hand of people.

Hindustan Times

02-04-2021

India