BJP is taking India back to a medieval past: Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi: Almost one hundred and thirty-two years after Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee was sworn in as the first president of the Indian National Congress (INC) on December 28, 1885, Nehru-Gandhi family scion Rahul Gandhi took the party baton from his mother — Italian born Sonia Gandhi —on Saturday. And he got straight into action…

In his first speech to party workers as their newly minted President, he launched an all-out attack on the ruling BJP, accusing it of spreading hatred and violence in the country, and charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi with taking India back to the medieval times. "The Congress's respect for all Indians extends to even the BJP. We do not fight hate with hate. They crush voice, we allow the most vulnerable to sing. They defame, we respect and defend."

Gandhi said that he took over the party reins knowing that he would always be walking in the "shadow of giants". He also told party men that they were his "family" and he would stand and protect all those workers fighting for the oppressed and those on the fringes. He also assured them that their voices would be heard in the new set-up under him.

"Today, the BJP people are trying to spread fire and violence in the entire country and only the force of lovable Congress workers and leaders can stop them. They break, we unite. They ignite fire, we douse it. They get angry, we love. This is the difference between them and us," he said. "Once you ignite fire in the country, it will be very difficult to douse it," he pointed out.

Attacking Modi, he said that the Congress spearheaded India into the 21st century "while the prime minister today is taking us backward, to a medieval past where people are butchered because of who they are, beaten for what they believe and killed for what they eat". "No amount of hugs can repair the damage done to this great country of ours," he said.