Congress president Rahul Gandhi at the national convention of Other Backward Classes (OBC) division of the Congress. (PTI Photo)
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday spoke about why there were no global brands like Coca Colas or McDonalds out of India, the difference between BJP and Congress, and why the BJP would be defeated in the next elections.
Here’s what he said at an event organised by the Congress for Other Backward Caste leaders from the party:
Coca-Cola and McDonalds
The Congress president used global brands to illustrate his claim that smaller businessmen couldn’t scale up in the country.
“Have you heard of Coca-Cola? Tell me who started the company, do you know? Let me tell you, it was a person who sold lemonade in the US. He would mix sugar in water. He was respected for his skill, raised money and started Coca-Cola,” Gandhi said.
He claimed that global fast food chain McDonalds was started by a man who ran a dhaba, and that global auto companies Ford, Mercedes and Honda were started by mechanics.
“Show me one company in India that was started by a mechanic,” he said.
The bus analogy
According to Gandhi, the biggest difference between the Congress and BJP was best explained by using the analogy of a bus.
“The Congress party puts people in a bus, gives them the key and tells them to drive it. The BJP puts people in the bus, tells them to be silent and lets the RSS drive the bus,” he said.
Gandhi said that the present aim of the RSS was to divide the OBC community so that they can’t present a united front for their demands.
“We want to bring you into politics and give you the keys to the bus. Because we know that to take India forward, 50-60% of the population needs to be respected, bank doors need to be opened and skills should be rewarded,” he said.
Opposition’s unity
The Congress president said the entire opposition will unite in six months to a year to make the BJP realise that India will be run by its people and not just three persons — Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Mohan Bhagwat. He added that the Opposition is unstoppable.
“The good part is…and it’s unstoppable…the full opposition is standing together. And whether it is in six months or a year, Narendra Modiji, Amit Shahji and Mohan Bhagwatji will get a demonstration of India’s strength,” Gandhi said.
The three leaders will understand that three people can’t run India, and only the people and youth can run the country, Gandhi said.
‘This is a lie’
The Congress president claimed there was no shortage of skills among people, but it was the lack of access to bank funds that prevented them from going.
“Modiji says there’s a lack of skills among people…that we need to give people knowledge and skills. This is a lie,” he said.
“OBCs are filled with skills. Wherever you look at them you find skills. The truth is that the skills you have, there is no respect for them. The truth is that the doors of banks and politics are closed to you,” he told the gathering.
‘There is no bigger idiot in the nation than me’
The Congress president said that he had recently met four to five OBC lawmakers of the BJP and spoke with them.
“I can’t mention his name otherwise Modiji will kick him out,” he said.
“One caught my hand and said,’There is no bigger idiot in the nation than me. I brought him and I made Narendra Modiji the Prime Minister, and today I, a Lok Sabha MP, am not allowed to say a word. I can’t even speak before the people’,” Gandhi said.
“The MP said, ‘I am not the only one saying it. All of them are scared and they all have in their hearts that we are sitting in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha but no one listens to us. They only listen to the RSS’,” he said.
Farmers ignored, NPA gone up
Gandhi alleged that the Modi government had ignored the interests of farmers but helped a small group of industrialists by waiving loans amounting to nearly Rs 2.5 lakh crore. “People with skills are not rewarded in India … farmers work hard but you don’t see them in the office of Modi-ji,” he said.
The Congress president claimed that non-performing assets of banks had gone up to Rs 10 lakh crore. “Rs 2.5 lakh crore were given to 15 industrialists. But the farmer got nothing…the loan waiver was for 15 people but not for the farmer who continues to commit suicide… his children keep crying,” Gandhi said.