New Delhi: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday intensified his criticism of the BJP-led government, declaring in the Lok Sabha that “vote chori is the biggest anti national act” and accusing the Centre of weakening institutions that protect the integrity of Indian democracy. He said that electoral manipulation strikes at the core of the Republic because the vote is the force that binds the country together.
Gandhi opened his intervention with an extended reflection on India’s cultural and political fabric. He asked the House, “Have you ever wondered why Mahatma Gandhi laid such emphasis on Khadi? Why was it that he framed the entire Indian freedom struggle around the concept of Khadi, and why is it that he only wore Khadi?” He told MPs that Khadi was far more than a cloth and described it as “the expression of the people of India, the imagination, the sentiment and the productive force of the people of India”.
Each region has its own textile traditions: Gandhi in LS
He noted that each region has its own textile traditions, citing the Himachali cap, the Assamese gomcha, the Banarasi saree, the Kanchipuram saree and the Naga jacket. These, he said, embodied the identity of the communities that produced them.
“These fabrics are beautiful,” Gandhi said, “but if you look slightly deeper, you will find that each one of them has thousands of little threads embracing each other. No one thread is superior to another thread. The threads cannot protect you on their own. But when they come together as a fabric, they can keep you warm, keep you safe and express what is in your heart.” Drawing the parallel further, he added, “Our nation is also a fabric made up of 1.4 billion people, and the fabric is woven together by the vote. This House where I am standing today, the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha, state assemblies across the country and panchayats across the country would not exist if the vote did not exist.”
Rahul Gandhi’s sharp attack on RSS
Gandhi repeated his charge that the RSS has sought to dominate institutions that were meant to function independently. He questioned the government’s decision to remove the Chief Justice of India and the Chief Election Commissioner from the selection panel for key appointments, describing it as an attempt to gain political control over posts that should remain impartial.
He urged MPs to recognise that protecting the vote was vital for safeguarding the nation, saying that any attempt to dilute it was a direct attack on India’s democratic spirit.
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