Govt is at war with its own people: Rahul
New Delhi, Oct 5 : Congress president Rahul Gandhi Friday said the government is at war with its own people as it wants to impose "one imagination" on 1.3 billion Indians.
He also said aspiration is turning into anger and hatred due to unfulfilled promises.
Speaking at the HT Leadership Summit, Gandhi said, India has been imagined and re-imagined for centuries and those courageous men and women who fought for country's liberty imagined a nation where all its children would be free, and where none would be discriminated on the basis of their caste, gender, religion or creed.
They imagined a tolerant and fair India, who would force no agenda on any of its friends or neighbours but guide them along the path that we had travelled: one of unity and brotherhood, Gandhi said.
"The Indian government has gone to war with its own people because it wants to impose one imagination on 1.3 billion of us. It wants to impose one singular, suffocating memory on our 1.3 billion memories," he said at the event.
Noting that the work of imagination is never over as it is always in constant flow and flux, he lamented that what one sees today is not a re-imagining."It is a defaming, a maligning of the Indian imagination."
He alleged that farmers are committing suicide by the thousands, the economy is decimated, the rupee "is on its knees", petrol prices at all-time high, the stock market has imploded and with Rs 12 lakh crore NPAs, the banking system is "jammed shut".
The informal sector, he said, was decimated as a result of demonetisation and an extremely complex multi-layered GST has led to small and medium businesses wiped out.
"Public confidence is in tatters. This my friends is the price of hatred. Aspiration is turning into anger," he noted.
Gandhi said Dalits and tribals are agitating across the country and minorities are under vicious attack, while those who criticised the prime minister are sacked.
"Fresh thinking is unwelcome," he said, adding that those in power hate thinkers like Raghuram Rajan, Amartya Sen, while institutions are being "destroyed".
"Today in India the fear is palpable. And while India burns, all they do is talk but their slogans. But their slogans have a shelf life: Make in India. Start up India. Clean India. What exactly have they translated into? Nothing.
"Because the people in charge are convinced that they have a monopoly on knowledge. They are convinced that only they understand. That no one in this country understands anything about India or the dreams of its people except them," he said.
The Congress chief said his career in politics has been about fighting for and alongside India's most vulnerable and told the gathering that he wants to be a mirror for their aspirations and voices. "I want to fight for you too", he said, adding that he has a record of delivering in the past.
"Everyone in India is a stake holder - all of us, rich or poor, weak or strong, north or south, east or west, every voice is a part of the harmony that makes India. We don't subscribe to black or white ideologies, we don't believe in binaries. India is a partnership between all its people," he said.
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KSCA expresses disappointment over missing IPL playoffs, says it was ready to host matches in B’luru
Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has issued a clarification stating that it was fully prepared to host the IPL playoffs and final matches in Bengaluru but the fixtures were allotted to other venues.
In a media note, KSCA said it was disappointed with the decision. The association stated that its president, former India cricketer Venkatesh Prasad, had been in touch with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and had formally conveyed the association’s readiness and interest in hosting the matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
KSCA said the IPL matches held in Bengaluru this season were appreciated for smooth conduct, crowd management and overall experience for spectators. It said this reflected its ability to handle high-profile matches.
The association also stated that it had sent a detailed communication to the BCCI explaining its preparedness and the operational arrangements followed during the current IPL season. According to KSCA, these systems have been in place since the start of the Indian Premier League in 2008 and were followed consistently, including during previous playoff matches hosted in Bengaluru.
The clarification added that the communication sent to the BCCI was only meant to provide factual and operational details and to bring clarity on logistical and stakeholder-related requirements involved in hosting such matches.
KSCA said that although it had shown willingness and preparedness, the BCCI has decided to allocate the playoff matches to other venues. It added that the reasons for this decision have not been formally shared with the association, but it respects the authority of the board in taking such decisions.
The association further said it remains ready to host matches of national and international importance and will continue to cooperate with the BCCI, franchises, government authorities and other stakeholders for conducting cricket events.
The statement was issued by KSCA official spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya, who also thanked the media and cricket fans for their continued support.
