India a country of Hindus, not Hindutvadis: Rahul Gandhi

Jaipur: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said India is a country of Hindus and not Hindutvadis, who want to be in power at any cost.

He said if there is inflation in the country and there is suffering, then this has been done by Hindutvadis.

"This is a country of Hindus, not Hindutvadis. If there is inflation in the country and there is suffering, then this has been done by Hindutvadis. Hindutvadis want power at any cost," Rahul said addressing a rally against rising inflation here. He also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying, "Modiji and his three-four industrialist friends ruined the country in seven years."

Describing Hindu and Hindutva as two different words, Rahul said just as two living beings cannot have one soul, two words cannot have the same meaning.

A Hindu is one who is not afraid of anyone, embraces everyone and respects all religions, the Congress leader said.

Mahatma Gandhi was a Hindu and Godse was Hindutvadi, the Congress leader said, stressing that a Hindu continuously searches for truth and spends his entire life for the search just like Mahatma Gandhi. But, in the end, one Hindutvadi fired three bullets in his chest, Rahul said. "Hindutvadi spends his entire life for power and he has nothing to do with truth. He only wants power and he can do anything for that, whether he has to beat or kill someone," he said.

"His way is Sattagrah and not Satyagrah," Rahul said.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi was also present at the rally but she did not address it.

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel and other senior leaders of the Congress also attended the rally. Baghel urged the Opposition parties to join hands to de-throne the BJP government.