I don't believe in soft or hardcore Hindutva: Rahul
Hyderabad, Aug 14: Congress President Rahul Gandhi made it clear on Tuesday that he was not wedded to Hindutva - "soft or hardcore".
In an interaction with editors, Gandhi did not agree that he was embracing soft Hindutva to appease the majority community.
"I don't believe in any kind of Hindutva, soft or hardcore," he said.
Gandhi said there was nothing wrong in his meeting religious leaders and visiting religious places.
His differences with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he insisted, were ideological and not personal.
Gandhi, on a two-day visit to Hyderabad, predicted that Narendra Modi would not become Prime Minister in 2019.
He said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would not even get 230 Lok Sabha seats and hence there was no question of Modi continuing in office again. The BJP tally would be cut primarily due to the alliance among non-BJP parties in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
He also pointed out that several allies of the BJP, including Shiv Sena, were against Modi becoming the Prime Minister for a second term.
The Congress President said the party was working with like-minded parties to form a grand alliance to defeat the BJP.
He was confident that a Congress-led alliance would form the next government at the Centre.
He evaded a direct reply to a question on who would be the Prime Minister in the event of Congress and other non-BJP parties getting a majority. He merely said they would work it out.
He was also non-committal on whether the Congress would repeat the Karnataka formula, where it accepted the leader of a party with fewer seats as the Chief Minister to prevent the BJP from taking power.
Asked about his hug to Modi in Parliament, Gandhi said it was intended to show that he doesn't hate people.
He, however, said the Prime Minister was cold in his response. He alleged that Modi doesn't give due respect to political rivals.
He voiced concern over growing intolerance in the country. He said that minorities were feeling insecure.
Gandhi said the party's state units were free to have alliances with like-minded parties. He was confident that the Congress would come to power in Telangana.
Asked about Andhra Pradesh, where Congress drew a blank in the 2014 polls, he said the party was improving its position.
He said Modi had failed to implement his promise of providing two crore jobs annually.
"China provides employment to 50,000 people in 24 hours while in India only 458 people get employment during this duration," he said.
In a lighter vein, Gandhi remarked that he was wedded to the Congress.
"I am wedded to Congress," he said when he was asked about his marriage plans.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Saif Ali Khan’s attacker allegedly let in by house help, Police investigate
Mumbai: Mumbai Police suspect that the attacker who stabbed actor Saif Ali Khan six times during an alleged burglary attempt was let into his Bandra residence by one of his house helps. The house help is currently under scrutiny as police investigate the incident. The 54-year-old actor, who sustained injuries, including one near his spine, has undergone surgery at Lilavati Hospital and is reportedly out of danger.
The attack occurred late at night, and preliminary investigations suggest the assailant may have entered the premises hours earlier and waited for an opportunity to strike. CCTV footage from the residence did not capture any recent entry, strengthening the suspicion that the attacker was assisted by someone inside.
Police reported that the incident began as a scuffle during the burglary attempt. “An unidentified person intruded into the residence of Actor Saif Ali Khan. The actor and the intruder had a scuffle. The actor is injured and is being treated. Investigation is ongoing,” officials said.
The attack has raised questions about security in Mumbai’s high-profile areas. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi criticised the state government, highlighting similar incidents such as the murder of Baba Siddique and the firing outside Salman Khan’s residence. “If celebrities in Bandra are not safe, who in Mumbai is? This is a serious failure of law and order,” she said.
Actor Pooja Bhatt also expressed concerns, urging authorities to address the issue urgently. “Can this lawlessness please be curbed? Bandra has never felt so unsafe before,” she tweeted, tagging Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and senior officials.
Police are now focused on identifying the attacker, who fled the scene, and examining the possible role of the house help in the incident.
