New Delhi: The Congress was upbeat over Rahul Gandhi’s first speech as LoP in the Lok Sabha saying the former party chief turned the tables on the NDA and forced PM Modi and his cabinet ministers to intervene in defence.
During his over 100 minutes speech, Rahul took on the NDA over issues ranging from mixing politics with religion, ignoring the farmers to faulty policies like demonetisation, GST and Agnipath and even reminded Speaker Om Birla that the Chair was supreme in the House.
Rahul’s first attack on the government as LoP provoked the PM to stand and intervene two times, HM Amit Shah four times, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh twice, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiran Rijiju once, Shivraj Chouhan and Ashwini Vaishnav once, and Bhupendra Yadav twice.
“The PM used to say he alone was sufficient to counter the entire opposition but today Rahul Gandhi turned the tables on him. Our leader not only unnerved the treasury benches with his powerful speech, but forced the PM and several of his cabinet ministers to stand up and intervene. Our leader was on fire and weighed over the entire cabinet,” deputy Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi told ETV Bharat.
“Rahul Gandhi today has become the voice of not only the entire opposition, but of the people of this country. The way he spoke in the House today is going to be the norm in the Parliament as the opposition will hold the NDA accountable. This is also the mandate of the 2024 national polls in which the people gave strength to the opposition,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi also challenged the treasury benches saying the INDIA bloc will defeat the BJP in Gujarat, the home state of PM Modi and HM Amit Shah, in the 2027 assembly polls.
The Congress had come close to forming a government in 2017 when it had won 77 seats and plans to launch a campaign for the 2027 assembly polls over the coming months.
“Rahul Gandhi had devoted significant time in Gujarat in 2017 and we were close to forming a government. Our tally dropped in 2022, but we will work hard for the 2027 assembly polls. At present we are reviewing the party’s performance in the Lok Sabha elections. Though we could win only 1 out of 26 seats, our vote share has improved in several seats. After the four state elections in November, a strategy for the next assembly elections would be formalised under Rahul Gandhi’s direction,” Chavda said.
“The people of the state are fed up with the state government over corruption. They will support us,” he said.
The former Congress chief’s speech not only excited the grand old party leaders, it inspired the other opposition parties as well. AAP Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha said he did not hear the speech but the same was being talked about among the people who were appreciating Rahul. SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal said whatever the Congress leader had said about the condition of the farmers was correct.
Though the BJP tried to distort Rahul’s statement saying he spoke against Hinduism, his sister Priyanka Gandhi later clarified that her brother could never speak against Hinduism and was rather making references to the BJP and its leaders.
Read more: Rahul's 'Not Hindus' Dig At BJP Draws Protests, Modi Says 'Calling Them Violent Serious Matter'
