In his first comments after five days of questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said a leader who fights for the truth is neither scared nor threatened.
He made these remarks at an event organised by All-India Congress Committee (AICC) on Wednesday at its headquarters, where party leaders from across the country gathered to express their support and solidarity.
Using it as a platform to address the youth who are protesting the Agnipath scheme, Mr. Gandhi said the Narendra Modi government was weakening the Armed Forces, and the new recruitment scheme had now made it “No Rank No Pension” from the promise of “One Rank One Pension”. Like the farm laws, he said, the Modi government would have to withdraw the new recruitment scheme too.
Party workers’ support
Mr. Gandhi, who has been questioned for more than 50 hours over five days, shared his experience of ED’s questioning with his party colleagues. He said ED officers, three of them who grilled him in a 12 feet by 12 feet room, wanted to know why he did not get tired despite long hours of questioning.
“I would mostly be sitting in my chair, even though the officers would keep going out. Perhaps, they had to take instructions from their seniors. So, when they asked me for my secret, I told them that’s because I do Vipassana meditation.”
Mr. Gandhi said the real reason, though, was the support of lakhs of party workers. “In that room, Rahul Gandhi wasn’t alone. Every worker, every leader of the party was present in the room. Every person who is fighting this government without fear was seated there. You can tire one person, but you can’t tire crores of Congress leaders and workers,” said Mr. Gandhi.
“The ED officers also understood that Congress leaders cannot be threatened or oppressed because they fight for the truth. Truth never gets tired, even though lies do,” he added.
“Symbols of patriotism”
The former Congress chief said his problems with the ED were far less important than the employment situation for lakhs of youth. “The government has taken away the last path open to them to express their patriotism by joining the Armed Forces”.
“I can say this with guarantee, that when you go home after serving the Army, you won’t get any employment,” he said.
Urging his party colleagues to take up their cause, Mr. Gandhi said, “Forget the ED, these youth, who run every morning from 4 a.m., are the symbols of patriotism. It is our duty to protect their future”.
Apart from Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chiefs and leaders of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), MLAs and MPs, several senior leaders were present, including Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, party’s leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, former Union Ministers P. Chidambaram and Jairam Ramesh and party general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, former Union Minister Salman Khurshid and senior leaders like Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Sachin Pilot were also among those present.
Earlier, in the morning, Mr. Gehlot told reporters that the country was passing through a very critical juncture and Opposition leaders were being treated as enemies. “The way police misbehaved and, in some instances beat up Opposition leaders, they seem to be doing rehearsal for imposing a dictatorial regime,” he said.
