Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, 20 August declared that India must ensure every citizen — regardless of religion, caste, age, or gender — feels a genuine sense of belonging and love. He was speaking at 'Hara Bhara Swaraj', a congregation held in New Delhi to mark the 82nd birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Attack on BJP Over Minorities, Dalits, and Tribals

Rahul Gandhi launched a pointed attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of systematically marginalising minorities, Dalits, and Adivasis. 'The BJP tells Muslims, Christians and Sikhs that they don't exist. BJP tells Adivasis that their land will be taken, and if they protest, they will be shot. BJP tells Dalits that their oppression doesn't matter. This is what has been done to our country,' he said.

He called for a reversal of this trajectory, arguing that every Indian must feel respected and included — not just as a political slogan, but as lived reality. This comes amid a sustained Congress effort to position itself as the voice of marginalised communities ahead of upcoming state elections.

Redefining 'Swaraj': Beyond Freedom

The Indian National Congress (Congress) leader offered a philosophical reinterpretation of the concept of Swaraj, arguing it is incorrectly translated as 'freedom' in English. He said Swaraj means 'ruling over oneself' — an internal sovereignty that cannot be bestowed by another, only cultivated from within.

Rahul Gandhi drew on Mahatma Gandhi's vision, describing Swaraj as each individual's personal relationship with truth and the world. 'Gandhiji considered every living being a unique entity, with his or her own path towards the truth,' he said, adding that this vision requires structural conditions to become possible.

Systemic Barriers to Gandhi's Vision

Rahul Gandhi argued that the Gandhian ideal of Swaraj cannot be realised under current conditions. 'It cannot exist with an education system that is as expensive as it is. It cannot exist with a testing system that is as unfair as it is. It cannot exist with a financial system that is monopolised by two or three people. It cannot exist without a political system that reaches deep into the country,' he said.

The remarks are a pointed reference to concerns around rising education costs, controversies over examination irregularities, and the concentration of economic power — themes that Congress has repeatedly raised in Parliament and on the campaign trail.

Message to Students and Young India

Addressing students and young people directly, Rahul Gandhi said government's role is to expand possibility, not dictate ambition. 'You want to be an engineer, a cook, or a shoemaker. Good for you, be a shoemaker. You want to be an astronaut. Good for you, be that,' he said.

He framed the current political contest as fundamentally ideological: 'A group of people who control the system have decided that they know the truth for everyone in this country. That's why they attack students every single day.' In contrast, he said his own approach is to listen and respect each student's individual truth — positioning Congress as the party of pluralism against what he described as an authoritarian ideological project.

What's Next

The speech signals that Congress intends to deepen its outreach to students, minorities, Dalits, and Adivasis as a core electoral strategy. With several state assembly elections on the horizon, Rahul Gandhi's invocation of Rajiv Gandhi's legacy and Gandhian philosophy is likely to set the ideological tone for the party's upcoming campaign messaging.