New Delhi, Sep 7 (Agency) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said India was being controlled by ‘few industrialists’ and drew a parallel with the reign of the East India Company, as the party’s 3500 km ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ was launched here. Accusing the central government of being against farmers, labourers and small and medium businesses, he stressed on the need for the ‘Yatra’ to bring the country together. “So many years after independence we are feeling the need, not just Congress but millions of Indian people are feeling the need of a Bharat Jodo Yatra,” Rahul Gandhi said. He said India today is facing its worst ever financial crisis, and the country is heading towards a ‘disaster’.
The Congress leader, who will lead the march that will go all the way to Kashmir, the northern most state of India, from Kanyakumari, its southern most point, said ‘policies are designed to take away from the poor people of India’. “The BJP govt has systematically attack the farmers, labourer, small and medium businesses. A handful of large businesses control entire country. The PM would not last one day without their support. They control media and ensure PM is on screen all the time,” Wayanad MP said. “In exchange, PM carries out policy that is in their control…Demonetisation, flawed GST, farm laws, were all designed to help these people,” he further said. “The idea is very similar to what British used to do. Divide India, make Indians fight with each other, and steal from Indian people…In those days, it used to be called East India Company, today there are 3-4 companies,” he said. Flanked by top leaders of the party, the former Congress president said many in the country today feel the need for “action that brings India together”. “We can see here Indian flag fluttering in the wind. All of us look up to this flag and salute this flag…Some people look at flag and they see three colours, a chakra, a piece of cloth and they salute the flag. It is much more than that,” he said. “This flag did not come easily.
It was not a gift, it was earned by Indian people.” “This flag represent every person who lives the country, the religion of every single person who lives in this country… The national flag does not belong to any religion, community language, it belongs to everyone,” Rahul Gandhi said. “Today, this flag is under attack. India is not the imposition of one idea on its people. Indian is the history, language, culture of every single person.” The Congress leader accused that all institutions in the country were being controlled by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. “They think they can determine single handedly future of this country. They think they can frighten the opposition by CBI, ED. The problem is they do not understand Indian people, Indian people don’t get scared. Not a single opposition leader is going to be scared of BJP,” he said. Rahul Gandhi added that it is important to make sure India is united. “That is the aim of Bharat Jodo Yatra. The Yatra is designed to listen to people of India… We do not want to crush the voice of people of India. We want to listen to wisdom of people of India,” he said. Earlier today, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel handed over a tricolour made of khadi to Rahul Gandhi here. Gandhi then handed it over to Seva Dal workers who will now manage the Yatra throughout. Representatives from civil society groups were also present at the dias. Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav was also present at the dais at the launch of the yatra.