Daijiworld Media Network - Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Nov 14: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the ruling government, alleging that Indian democracy had been systematically dismantled and was no longer functioning.

Addressing the Bharat Summit, Gandhi began by welcoming international delegates and apologised to several global guests who were reportedly barred by the government from attending the event, saying their absence reflected the prevailing political environment.

He said the world was divided between a small minority of arrogant and loud-voiced individuals who believed they knew everything, whom he described as "fascists", and a vast majority of compassionate people who listened, asked questions and practised humility.

Reflecting on the political changes since the 2014 elections, the senior Congress leader argued that the traditional economic model had collapsed and been replaced by an unhealthy combination of politics and business.

He also questioned the integrity of recent electoral processes, claiming that democracy had been severely compromised during the 2024 general elections.

Gandhi cited figures suggesting that 140 million voters, accounting for around 13 per cent of the electorate, had been categorised as non-existent or illegal by the Election Commission, raising questions about the legitimacy of the elections.

He also referred to the political developments in Maharashtra, where an opposition victory in the Lok Sabha elections was followed by a reversal in the Assembly polls within three months. He alleged that the shift was driven by the addition of seven million voters who favoured the ruling party.

Despite what he described as mounting institutional pressure, including 45 legal cases filed against him, Gandhi said the opposition had discovered an effective counter-strategy during the historic Bharat Jodo Yatra.

He said the march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir had taught the party that direct engagement with ordinary citizens was more powerful than controlled media platforms or state-backed machinery.

Emphasising that India's democracy was a vital global public good for more than 1.5 billion people, Gandhi declared, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be defeated.”

He, however, stressed that the political battle would not be fought through anger, hatred or violence, but through the "eternal weapons of satya (truth) and ahimsa (non-violence)".

Concluding his address, Gandhi called on like-minded global allies to unite against what he described as authoritarian trends, asserting that the ruling administration would ultimately be defeated by love, compassion and truth.