I feel like hugging PM Narendra Modi when he abuses me, says Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who has been attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi of late with ‘chaukidar chor hai’ jibe, on Friday said that he will fight with the prime minister but doesn't hate him. The Congress chief also said that he ‘felt like hugging’ the prime minister whenever he attacked him. “I look at Mr. Modi when he abuses me and I feel like giving him a hug,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.

Taking a dig at Bharatiya Janata Party's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Gandhi said that the ‘abuse’ from the ruling party at the Centre and RSS is the ‘biggest gift’ to him. “The best thing that happened to me as a politician & human being was the abuse I got from BJP & RSS, it has been the biggest gift they could give me. I look at Mr. Modi when he abuses me and I feel like giving him a hug,” ANI tweeted.

Rahul Gandhi in Odisha: I realise he (PM Modi) disagrees with me & I disagree with him, and I will fight him and I will try and make sure that he is not the prime minister but I don't hate him. I give him the right to have his opinion. pic.twitter.com/OS4Hw28mtn

— ANI (@ANI) January 25, 2019

He said that the RSS imprint was evident everywhere in the BJP-led NDA government and accused it of trying to penetrate and control all institutions in the country. "You currently have one institution called the RSS, mother of the BJP, which believes it is the only institution in the country. They want to penetrate into all other institutions and control them," he said during an interaction with intellectuals in Bhubaneswar.

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Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Bhubaneswar: The best thing that happened to me as a politician & human being was the abuse I got from BJP & RSS, it has been the biggest gift they could give me. I look at Mr Modi when he abuses me and I feel like giving him a hug. pic.twitter.com/283JmhUrHT

— ANI (@ANI) January 25, 2019

Gandhi also said that his party has a view different from the ruling BJP when it comes to the functioning of key institutions. "Our party has a different view on how key institutions should be supporting the country. It respects decentralisation, independence of institutions and constitutional advances," he asserted.

The Congress chief said that we listen to the people. “Not like Mr. Narendra Modi who thinks he knows everything, there is no scope of feedback. This is the basic difference between us and BJP,” he said.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Gandhi said that he will fight with the PM but doesn't hate him.
• He said that the RSS imprint was evident in the NDA government.
• Gandhi also said that his party listens to the people.