BJP wins elections to capture institutions, Congress to run nation: Rahul Gandhi

Congress President Rahul Gandhi said the BJP/RSS perceive elections as a way to capture institutions, unlike the Congress which sees elections as a way to run India. Rahul Gandhi was interacting with senior politicians and eminent personalities at Hotel Taj West End in Bengaluru after inaugurating 'Samruddha Bharat Foundation'.

The Foundation is a platform to propagate liberal, secular and republican values across the country. Its trustees include veteran film director Shyam Benegal and noted Supreme Court advocate KTS Tulsi.

Former Rajasthan CM Prakash Gehlot, former Karnataka CM Veerappa Moily, actress Bharati Vishnu Vardhan and other dignitaries were present.

Rahul Gandhi said, "There is a global phenomenon to capture institutions, RSS doing in India what Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt." He stated that BJP thinks they cannot win political power again and again. So, BJP/RSS are capturing one institution after another and deny democracy to people. He cited developments in JNU and changes in planning commission as examples to capture institutions.

"More democratization of political process is the Congress' answer to counter this process. They view elections a way to capture India and We see elections as a way to run India," he said.

On the question of rising incidents of attacks on Dalits, Rahul Gandhi said, "They (BJP/RSS) hate Gandhi, Ambedkar, Nehru because they gave the idea of 'one man one vote'. They praise the icons, on the other hand, they destroy their legacy. RSS is destroying everything these icons stood for -be it Basvanna, Sardar Patel, Bhagat Singh, Mahatma Gandhi."

He accused that BJP/RSS "believe in the idea of hierarchy."

About what changes he would like to introduce in the education system, he said, "I don't want to impose my fancy ideas on the people of India. My job is to talk to people and translate what people want. The idea of transformation has to come from people. "

When asked about Congress' strategy in the face of polarisation across India, Rahul Gandhi said, "You will laugh at what I say, I will catch you after 2019. It is highly unlikely that the BJP will form the next government. And is close to impossible that Mr Narendra Modi will be prime minister."

He supported his answer with his own analysis. He said, his father, former PM Rajiv Gandhi's government had 415 Congress MPs in the parliament. However, he could not hold on to power as opposition parties came together in 1989. Rahul Gandhi said the same thing would repeat in 2019.