Chennai: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that 'Mogambo Modi' is destroying India's democracy, asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay for the crimes he has committed against the country.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha also accused Modi of attacking democracy directly and indulging in “vote chori”.
“PM Modi is silencing voices; as you saw in Delhi, the entire city was shut down, and police were beating students. The BJP also unleashed its goondas who beat up students,” Gandhi said at the sixth edition of his youth outreach initiative, ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’.
Before Chennai, ‘Chhatron ki Goonj’ was held in Kota, Dehradun, Prayagraj, Pune and Indore.
“The problem is, Mr Modi does not understand that the game is over. The drama that he has been doing for the past 15 years is coming to an end. We will ensure that Modi pays for the crimes he has committed against the country,” Gandhi said.
'Mogambo Modi' is destroying India's democracy, he added, likening the prime minister to the dreaded villain from the Bollywood hit ‘Mr. India’ played by the late Amrish Puri.
As Gandhi delivered the line, the screen behind him played a scene from the 1987 movie with Modi's face superimposed on Amrish Puri.
The Congress leader said his message to students is that they should not fear anything, stressing that all those who attacked the Constitution and democracy will be brought to justice.
Gandhi also alleged that Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have launched a “full-scale attack” on Tamil culture, language and history.
“Amit Shah openly says that Hindi will be imposed on Tamil Nadu. It is Modi and Shah who are stifling curiosity. This is happening through the New Education Policy; a three-language formula has been imposed,” he said.
Claiming that Tamil Nadu is being punished through the design of delimitation, he said, “We will not allow Modi to attack Tamil culture, language and history.”
Gandhi also said that questioning is the foundation of progress, and democracy itself emerges from curiosity and asking questions.
“Modi and Shah are destroying the foundation of curiosity,” he alleged.
