Congress president Rahul Gandhi said Thursday the BJP considers India to be a product whose benefits go to a select few. Addressing a convention of Sewa Dal in Ajmer, Rahul said, “Narendra Modi ji gives tall speeches, (saying that he) wants to change the country, (and that) nothing happened in 70 years. Narendra Modi came and he began work in India. This is their mentality, their thinking.” He said that negating the progress made in 70 years is an insult “to every citizen of the country”. “Hindustan is a product for them while it’s a sea for us: there is everyone in it, and it works with all of us together. For them it is a product, like their (party) president says that it is a sone ki chidiya (golden bird). And the entire benefit of the product should go to a select few: 10, 20 friends. This is the difference.,” he said. Gandhi said there is an ideological fight “where there is RSS, BJP on one side, and Congress on the other. They spread hate, they wake up in the morning, wear a half pant, and pick up a stick, while we bring the country together; we work with love and affection. This is the basic difference.” He asked Sewa Dal members “to counter RSS’ hatred and division with love and hugs”. Rahul also apologised to Sewa Dal, saying that it hasn’t received the respect it deserves. He said that Sewa Dal is “Congress’ backbone, protector of its ideology and its first line of defence. So I want to assure you today that you are our most needed organisation.” However, he also had a complaint — that the “Sewa Dal did not fight alongside the people in the manner in which it should have. Now there is a new beginning: the Congress party will recognise Sewa Dal as its most important organisation.”
