JOIN USGave haters chance to change my T-shirt’s colour to red: Rahul Gandhi
Wrapping up the Bharat Jodo Yatra here on Mahatma Gandhi’s martyrdom day, top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said he walked in Kashmir Valley for four days despite being warned about losing life as he felt that he should give an opportunity to those who hate him to “change the colour of my (white) T-shirt to red”.
In remarks that immediately drew a parallel to his grandmother Indira Gandhi’s last speech in 1984 just before her assassination, Rahul said he did not listen to the advice of senior leaders like K C Venugopal and security officials as he goes by the philosophy of Gandhi ji and his family that one has to be fearless if he/she has to live.
The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had, a day before her assassination, said in Odisha, "I am here today, I may not be here tomorrow... I shall continue to serve until my last breath and when I die, I can say that every drop of my blood will invigorate India and strengthen it."
As he approached Kashmir, he said he was told by the security personnel that he could walk anywhere in India and even in Jammu while advising him to travel in a vehicle in volatile Kashmir. He said Venugopal told him first about this and the administration too echoed this claiming that a hand grenade could be lobbed at him.
“I thought I am going home and I will be walking in the midst of my people. I thought why shouldn’t I give an opportunity to those who hate me to change the colour of my T-shirt to red…I gave the opportunity to those who wanted to change the colour of my T-shirt,” he said at the grand finale of the yatra at Sher-I-Kashmir Stadium.
Braving the heavy snowfall, he added, “but what I thought has happened. The people of Kashmir had not thrown the hand grenade but they showered love on me from the bottom of their heart. I am happy that you consider me one of you.”
In his nearly 35-minute speech, Rahul spoke about his connection with Kashmir and said his forefathers had walked down from the valley to Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh.
Recalling his messages to his mother Sonia Gandhi and sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, he said it was homecoming for him. He said he has lived in government houses throughout his life and never felt it was his home.
Home is a thought, a way of life and what you call Kashmiriyat is my home, which has the elements of Lord Shiva’s philosophy and Islamic teachings, he said.