Rahul Gandhi sparks row, says Congress not involved in Sikh riots
London, Aug 25: Congress president Rahul Gandhi said his party will win the 2019 general elections by building a "formidable alliance" to fight the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
During the interactive segment of his 'India and the World' event at the House of Commons complex in London, Gandhi warned against an attempt to impose a rigid, hate-filled ideology by forces like the RSS on India through a politics that excludes the country's lower castes and minorities.
Rahul equates RSS with Muslim Brotherhood, attacks Modi in London address
"There is an attempt to impose a very rigid, hate-filled angry ideology on India... This is an ideological battle and the line is very clear - there is the hate-filled ideology of the RSS on one side and there is all the Opposition on the other side, and you will feel the weight of this combined opposition," he said.
"We
are
going
to
win
the
election
in
2019
and
then
we
can
start
going
back
to
India
where
people
were
respected
and
the
whole
country
was
carried
together,"
Gandhi
said.
He
said
that
the
Congress
party
was
building
a
"formidable
alliance"
to
fight
the
divisive
forces
in
power
in
India.
Stressing that the Congress is the party dedicated to "protecting the weak", he attacked "the forces in power" for crushing conversation and those opposed to their views.
The Congress president, who is on a two-day visit to the UK, told the audience of UK-based parliamentarians and local leaders, that the party is committed to transform itself by pulling together younger leaders and by making more space for women leaders.
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Asked a question about the Congress party's "involvement" in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Gandhi described the incident as a tragedy and painful experience, but disagreed that the Congress was "involved".
He said: "I think any violence done against anybody is wrong. There are legal processes ongoing in India but as far as I'm concerned anything done that was wrong during that period should be punished and I would support that 100 per cent".