No truck with Varun ideology: Rahul Gandhi

CHANDIGARH:  Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has ruled out the possibility of reaching out to his cousin and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Varun Gandhi, saying that he can meet and hug his cousin “but cannot accept” his ideology.

“My ideology does not match his ideology. I can never go to an RSS office. You can slit my throat, but I will not go. My family has an ideology, it has a thought system,” Rahul said at a presser on the sidelines of his Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Varun Gandhi is the BJP MP from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh. and the son of Sanjay and Maneka Gandhi. “Varun Gandhi is in BJP, if he walks here, then it might be a problem for him. My ideology does not match his ideology. At some point in time and maybe even today, Varun adopted another ideology and I cannot accept that ideology. I can meet him, hug him but I cannot accept that ideology.’’

Rahul’s remarks on Varun Gandhi came amid speculation that the BJP MP, who often has been critical of his party, might be joining the Congress. The Congress leader further said the country’s institutions were being controlled by the RSS and BJP as there was “pressure” on the media, bureaucracy, the Election Commission and judiciary. “Today all institutions of the country are controlled by the RSS and BJP. There is pressure on all institutions. 

The Press, the bureaucracy and the Election Commission are under pressure, they also put pressure on the judiciary. This is not a fight between one political party and another. It is a fight among the institutions of the country,” he added.

Rahul also said that the people of Punjab would not accept a situation where the government was run from Delhi. “Punjab needs a new vision. The people are complaining that their expectations are being belied. Only Congress can offer a long-term vision to Punjab,” said Rahul.

Rahul avoided questions on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal on water-sharing, mainly between Punjab and Haryana. “This is Bharat Jodo Yatra and this is a distractive question.”