Tricolour under attack by BJP-RSS, says Rahul Gandhi at launch of 'Bharat Jodo Yatra'

It is important to defend the values and ideas behind the flag, Rahul said

Warning that the Tricolour is under attack by the BJP-RSS that is dividing the country, Congress on Wednesday kick-started its ambitious ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ with its top leader Rahul Gandhi saying that none of the Opposition leaders will be scared of the Narendra Modi government that is using Central agencies against them.

Rahul, who at Udaipur Conclave was dismissive of regional parties in their fight against the BJP-RSS, appeared to have a change of heart with the former Congress chief saying that the Modi government can “frighten” the Opposition by capturing institutions and using CBI, Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department.

“The problem is that they do not understand the Indian people, who do not get scared. Doesn’t matter how many hours of interrogation (in an apparent reference to his questioning by the ED and other leaders), not a single Opposition leader is going to be scared of the BJP,” he said.

Significantly, Rahul brought the Tricolour handed over to him by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin at the Gandhi Mandapam here to the rally venue. VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan was also present.

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At Udaipur Chintan Shivir in May this year, Rahul was critical of the “ideology-less” regional parties, saying they do not have it in them to fight the BJP-RSS though he admitted that his party’s “connect” with the people has been “broken”.

With Tricolour fluttering across the venue, the main theme of Rahul’s speech was centred around the national flag with the Wayanad MP saying that the “Tiranga is not just three colours and a chakra on a piece of cloth” but one that guarantees everybody the right to practice religion or speak any language.

“Today brothers and sisters, this flag is under attack. India is not the imposition of one idea on its people… Tricolour did not come easily, it was earned by Indian people and belongs to every religion and language,” he said adding the BJP-RSS think that the flag is their personal property and think they can determine “single-handedly” the future of people and all states.

“Please remember, it is not enough just to salute the flag. But it is important to defend the values and ideas behind the flag,” he said.

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With the entire party leadership in attendance and thunderous cheers, he said the BJP-RSS’ idea is very similar to that of the British who believed in “dividing Indians, making them fight and then stealing from them” while it was the East India Company in those days, today it is done by 3-4 business houses.

The BJP thinks they can divide the country along religious lines and languages but no one can divide India, he said.

He said Modi would not last one day if he does not have the support of a handful of big businesses for whom he designs policies like demonetisation, flawed GST and three “black” farm laws among others and in turn they ensured round-the-clock TV screen time by controlling the media.

With a large crowd assembled at the launch rally at the venue with the confluence of three seas as background, the launch of the 3,570 km yatra covering 12 states and two union territories started with a series of events during the day, starting with a prayer meeting at the memorial of his father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in Sriperumbudur.

He flew to Kanyakumari in the afternoon, visited Thiruvalluvar memorial and Vivekananda memorial before reaching Gandhi Mandapam for a prayer meeting.