Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s comparison of the RSS and CPI(M) during a Kerala event has stirred tensions within the INDIA bloc. Left party leaders, during the alliance’s virtual meeting on Saturday, expressed concern over the remark, calling it inappropriate and potentially divisive. They cautioned that such statements could confuse ground-level workers and harm unity within the opposition alliance ahead of key political battles.
00:00And our shifting focus in fighting within the India Bloc is once again at the forefront.
00:06Rahul drew an analogy between RSS and CPIM and claimed that his biggest complaint against the RSS and the CPIM
00:13is that they lack empathy for people and he fights them ideologically.
00:18Rahul Gandhi's recent remarks equating the RSS and the CPIM has sparked unease within the India Bloc.
00:24According to sources, CPI leader D. Raja in fact raised the issue during the India Bloc's online meeting
00:30without directly naming Rahul Gandhi.
00:33He has learned to have said that such remarks equating the left with the RSS should be avoided
00:38as they create confusion among carders and can damage the unity of the India Bloc.
00:45I fight the RSS ideologically.
00:51I fight the CPM ideologically.
00:54And I fight them in the realm of speech.
00:58But my biggest complaint with them, of them, is that they do not have feelings for people.
01:03You can give whatever speeches you want.
01:06You can have whatever ideas you want.
01:08If you do not feel for people, if you are not ready to connect with people,
01:12if you are not ready to hug people, you cannot be a leader.
01:15I have brought to my notice a statement made by Congress I leader and leader of the opposition
01:25in Lok Sabha, Mr. Rahul Gandhi.
01:28He has stated that he is committed to fight RSS and CPI-M ideologically.
01:41Congress didn't command a majority in Lok Sabha after 2004 election.
01:48We continue to criticize Congress in a friendly manner.
01:52But we will never equate Congress and BJP and RSS when we make criticism.
01:58We will make independent criticism.
02:00And my colleague Rahul Gautam is now joining us with more details on this.
02:06Rahul, is the India bloc really united?
02:09Because after Rahul Gandhi's statement, the ideological cracks are clearly visible within the bloc.
02:14Absolutely.
02:16You know, you can easily describe this as, you know, cracks coming to the fore as far as India bloc unity is concerned.
02:23Because, you know, first Rahul Gandhi quits RSS, which left that too in Kerala.
02:29And now in the online meeting that was held last night.
02:35And remember, it was attended by the head of the party.
02:39In that meeting, D. Raja, who is the leader of PCI, in fact, he didn't name Rahul Gandhi, but said that the senior leaders of India bloc should not make such statements, which that actually give, you know, air to the speculation and create confusion among the voters.
02:56And it also makes it difficult for them to stand together.
02:59So one should avoid making such statements.
03:01So as far as opposition unity is concerned, definitely you can say it's a setback because of the fact that this clearly shows that all alliance partners are not speaking in one voice and there are still differences.
03:13See, you have to understand what is the dilemma of Congress party.
03:16Congress party wants to come into power in Kerala and their number one competitor is CPIM, which is in power in Kerala.
03:24Therefore, they would have to take a stand against left in Kerala.
03:29But again, it would be making it very difficult for them to come together on national platform, which, you know, all these alliance partners are concerned.
03:36So clearly, as far as opposition unity is concerned, it's a bad object.
03:40And it seems that BJP would be having last laugh and would clearly be taking pot shots at this meeting and also on the opposition unity, which India bloc is claiming at this point of time.
03:52Absolutely, Rahul. In fact, the question is that can the Congress party actually afford to alienate key allies like the left if we talk about national level politics?
04:04See, as I was telling you earlier also, the crux of the matter is Kerala politics.
04:09Congress wants to come, wants to make a comeback in Kerala.
04:14Earlier Rahul Gandhi was representing Vainar.
04:17Now Finka Gandhi-Wadra is representing Vainar.
04:20So as far as Congress is concerned and particularly for Gandhi family is concerned, Kerala is a very important state for them.
04:27And they clearly believe that this time they can return into power as far as Kerala is concerned.
04:32But again, optics-wise, it's a bad, you know, thing to criticize your own allies whom you are with partnering in various states.
04:40For example, in Bihar, Congress is aligning with left parties in Bihar.
04:45But at the same time, the Supreme Leader Rahul Gandhi is criticizing CPM or left government in Kerala, equating it with RSS, which many believe Rahul Gandhi is number one enemy or at least ideological enemy.
04:57So as far as optics-wise is concerned, you can say that it's a bad optic and it would certainly make it difficult for state Congress leaders, for national Congress leaders to come clean on BJP's allegations that they have come together only because of lust of power.
05:10Sir Rahul, after the backlash that the Congress Party is receiving from the left allies, we saw that D. Raja also took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi, though indirectly he did not name him.
05:23So does the Congress Party, is the Congress Party planning to repair their ties or will they let the matter be as it is?
05:31All right, do stay with us, Rahul. We're being joined by Congress Party's Manikam Tagore on the broadcast.
05:37Mr. Tagore, a very good morning to you.
05:39A political row has erupted over Rahul Gandhi's statement where he equated the RSS with the left.
05:45The left, this statement hasn't gone down well with the left, with D. Raja also indirectly taking a jibe at Rahul Gandhi for the statement.
05:53Your reaction?
05:54We need to understand that it is in Kerala the politics is particularly against the left parties and the Congress Party has been fighting the left front, particularly the markets.
06:08For long years, the politics has been for long years, and the RSS and BJP has been the third force which wants to divide the state of Kerala.
06:20And they have been trying with multiple methodologies, and Mr. Gandhi, the leader of opposition, in a function in Kerala,
06:30has mentioned the same thing, that the politics of Congress is to care about people and be compassionate to the people and care about the people.
06:44And it should be people-centric politics, not like the RSS or the CPM party.
06:51That is the thing he has told in that front, and the other, whatever way we wanted to take it internationally, we can, we are all together with the left parties in different states.
07:05In Tamil Nadu, they are together with the left parties, they are together with the left parties in Bengal.
07:09We work on a common platform for defeating BJP and RSS in the national level with the India Alliance also.
07:16But Mr. Tigor, don't you think that, and does the Congress party acknowledge the fact that such statements coming to the fore by leaders like Rahul Gandhi
07:25can actually hurt the national level alliance that you have with the left?
07:30No, that is, this kind of maturity level, we have it.
07:34And the Congress party also has it, Mr. Gandhi's words are, have to be taken on the Kerala front.
07:40We have to understand that Kerala, the ground in Kerala is different than the ground in Delhi.
07:46Of course, we have to understand that this much maturity, we all have it.
07:50And yesterday's India Alliance meeting also, all the CPM leaders, Gandhi as well as the CTA leader, Raja,
07:56all participated in the meeting, and the meeting was contested.
07:59We all know that, who is our common enemy?
08:01Common enemy is RSS and BJP.
08:03Our fight is against those people who are trying to capture India's oil institutions
08:07and use all methodologies to destroy India as a nation itself.
08:14They are disturbing that front itself, and they are trying to capture all of the institutions also.
08:20Our fight is on a larger goal.
08:22This maturity, we all have it.
08:24And leader of opposition has explained, yes, this speech was taken out of context by some media.
08:29We all know that media, those media which works for the government also.
