NEW YORK: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi says after Karnataka election victory his party will “decimate” BJP in Telangana and other state polls, emphasizing that it’s not just the Congress party but the people of India who will defeat his hate-filled ideology.
“We proved in Karnataka that we can decimate the BJP… We didn’t defeat them, we decimated them. We destroyed them in Karnataka,” Gandhi said at a dinner hosted here on Saturday from Indian Overseas Congress-USA.
Gandhi arrived in New York after visiting Washington and San Francisco and will speak at a community gathering at Manhattan’s Javits Center on Sunday.
He said in the Karnataka elections, the BJP “tried everything in the book, they had all the media, they had 10 times the amount of money we had, they had the government, they had the agency. They had everything and then we decimated them,” Gandhi said.
“And I want you to know that next time we will decimate them in Telangana,” he said to loud cheers and cheers from the rally.
“It will be difficult to find the BJP in Telangana after this election.” Elections in the South Indian state are expected to be held later this year.
Congressional supporters, officials, party members and members of the diaspora gathered in large numbers at the community event which was also attended by New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Apart from the Telangana elections, there are elections scheduled for “Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh where we will do the same as we did with them in Karnataka,” Gandhi said to the cheers and cheers of supporters.
“It is not only the Congress party that will defeat the BJP. It is the people of India, the people of Madhya Pradesh, the people of Telangana, the people of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh who will defeat the BJP,” Gandhi said.
He added that the reason for this is that “India has realized that it cannot go ahead with the kind of hatred that the BJP is spreading in society.”
“This is what will happen in the next few states. And then in 2024 we will do the same… The opposition is united, we all work together. It is an ideological battle. On the one hand, there is a divisive ideology of the BJP, the hate-filled ideology of the BJP. On the other side, there is the warm and loving ideology of the Congress party,” she said.
He said that in Karnataka, the BJP has been trying to polarize the elections and create anger and hatred among the communities.
“The Prime Minister himself tried. Did it work?, he said as the audience answered no.
Gandhi said the people of Karnataka said the elections are about prices, unemployment and corruption.
Gandhi was referring to his slogan made during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, during which he had said “Nafrat ke bazaar mein mohabbat ki dukan kholenge”.
Adams said “the New Delhi of America is right here in New York City.”
“This community is one of the best educated, one of the most highly managed and business owned,” he said, adding that what is unique about America is that “we tell you never to give up your homeland as you embrace your adopted land” , to the applause and applause of those present.
“You are Indian-(hyphen) Americans. As you embrace America, don’t remove the Indian side,” the mayor of New York said.
He added that India “has historically given so much not only to the geographical borders of your country, but what the Indian community has historically given to the world is just extraordinary and has yet to truly be reflected in historic proportions.
“All the great Nobel Peace Prize winners have basically borrowed from the rich history of your society,” he said, adding that they drew inspiration from the ancient Vedas and early writings.
Earlier in the day, Gandhi “had an inspiring fireside chat” with leading New York thinkers at Roosevelt House, home of former US president, Franklin D Roosevelt.
Gandhi said that members of the diaspora in the United States are “our ambassadors” and have shown America and the rest of the world “what it means to be Indian”.
He said there is a fight going on at home and a similar fight in America over two different visions of India.
“A vision that is our vision: accept all, embrace all, respect all, love all and want all to be part of the future of our country regardless of their religion, their community, their caste, their language.
“We are fighting our friends in the BJP… they have a very limited view of our country,” he said.
Addressing the public and diaspora at the event, Gandhi said, “You respect other religions. You respect other cultures. You respect other people, you respect women. And that is the best way to fight the BJP, to live by the ideology we believe in,” he said, adding that the fight is not difficult.
“We proved in Karnataka that we can decimate the BJP… We didn’t defeat them, we decimated them. We destroyed them in Karnataka,” Gandhi said at a dinner hosted here on Saturday from Indian Overseas Congress-USA.
Gandhi arrived in New York after visiting Washington and San Francisco and will speak at a community gathering at Manhattan’s Javits Center on Sunday.
He said in the Karnataka elections, the BJP “tried everything in the book, they had all the media, they had 10 times the amount of money we had, they had the government, they had the agency. They had everything and then we decimated them,” Gandhi said.
“And I want you to know that next time we will decimate them in Telangana,” he said to loud cheers and cheers from the rally.
“It will be difficult to find the BJP in Telangana after this election.” Elections in the South Indian state are expected to be held later this year.
Congressional supporters, officials, party members and members of the diaspora gathered in large numbers at the community event which was also attended by New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Apart from the Telangana elections, there are elections scheduled for “Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh where we will do the same as we did with them in Karnataka,” Gandhi said to the cheers and cheers of supporters.
“It is not only the Congress party that will defeat the BJP. It is the people of India, the people of Madhya Pradesh, the people of Telangana, the people of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh who will defeat the BJP,” Gandhi said.
He added that the reason for this is that “India has realized that it cannot go ahead with the kind of hatred that the BJP is spreading in society.”
“This is what will happen in the next few states. And then in 2024 we will do the same… The opposition is united, we all work together. It is an ideological battle. On the one hand, there is a divisive ideology of the BJP, the hate-filled ideology of the BJP. On the other side, there is the warm and loving ideology of the Congress party,” she said.
He said that in Karnataka, the BJP has been trying to polarize the elections and create anger and hatred among the communities.
“The Prime Minister himself tried. Did it work?, he said as the audience answered no.
Gandhi said the people of Karnataka said the elections are about prices, unemployment and corruption.
Gandhi was referring to his slogan made during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, during which he had said “Nafrat ke bazaar mein mohabbat ki dukan kholenge”.
Adams said “the New Delhi of America is right here in New York City.”
“This community is one of the best educated, one of the most highly managed and business owned,” he said, adding that what is unique about America is that “we tell you never to give up your homeland as you embrace your adopted land” , to the applause and applause of those present.
“You are Indian-(hyphen) Americans. As you embrace America, don’t remove the Indian side,” the mayor of New York said.
He added that India “has historically given so much not only to the geographical borders of your country, but what the Indian community has historically given to the world is just extraordinary and has yet to truly be reflected in historic proportions.
“All the great Nobel Peace Prize winners have basically borrowed from the rich history of your society,” he said, adding that they drew inspiration from the ancient Vedas and early writings.
Earlier in the day, Gandhi “had an inspiring fireside chat” with leading New York thinkers at Roosevelt House, home of former US president, Franklin D Roosevelt.
Gandhi said that members of the diaspora in the United States are “our ambassadors” and have shown America and the rest of the world “what it means to be Indian”.
He said there is a fight going on at home and a similar fight in America over two different visions of India.
“A vision that is our vision: accept all, embrace all, respect all, love all and want all to be part of the future of our country regardless of their religion, their community, their caste, their language.
“We are fighting our friends in the BJP… they have a very limited view of our country,” he said.
Addressing the public and diaspora at the event, Gandhi said, “You respect other religions. You respect other cultures. You respect other people, you respect women. And that is the best way to fight the BJP, to live by the ideology we believe in,” he said, adding that the fight is not difficult.
