Hyderabad, November 14 (Yes Punjab News)
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday described Indian democracy as a global public good, while launching a sharp attack on the ruling government and alleging that democratic institutions and electoral processes had been systematically undermined.
Addressing the Bharat Summit, Gandhi welcomed international delegates and apologised to several foreign guests who, he said, had been barred by the government from attending the event. He said their absence reflected the prevailing political environment in the country.
Gandhi described the world as divided between a small group of arrogant and loud-voiced people who believe they know everything, whom he called “fascists”, and a larger group of compassionate people who listen, ask questions and practise humility.
Reflecting on the political changes since the 2014 elections, he argued that the traditional economic model had collapsed and been replaced by an unhealthy alliance between politics and business.
He alleged that India’s democratic process was severely compromised during the 2024 general elections. Citing figures, Gandhi claimed that 140 million voters, or around 13 per cent of the electorate, had been categorised as non-existent or illegal by the Election Commission.
He also pointed to Maharashtra, where an opposition victory in the Lok Sabha elections was followed by a reversal in the Assembly polls three months later. Gandhi attributed the change to the alleged addition of seven million voters favouring the ruling party.
Referring to the legal challenges he faces, including 45 cases filed against him, Gandhi said the opposition had discovered an effective way to counter the ruling establishment during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
He said the march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir had taught the Congress that direct engagement with ordinary citizens was more powerful than controlled media platforms or state-backed machinery.
Describing Indian democracy as a vital global public good for more than 1.5 billion people, Gandhi declared that “Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be defeated.”
He stressed that the political battle would not be fought through anger, hatred or violence, but through the “eternal weapons of satya (truth) and ahimsa (non-violence).”
Concluding his address, Gandhi urged like-minded international partners to unite against what he described as authoritarian trends, asserting that love, compassion and truth would ultimately prevail over the ruling establishment.
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