Rahul Gandhi quits as Congress leader

The heir to the Gandhi-Nehru dynasty lost in this year’s election. In his farewell message he stresses that everyone in the party must take “responsibility". He warns: “We didn’t fight a political party in the 2019 election. Rather, we fought the entire machinery of the Indian state, every institution [. . .] was marshalled against the opposition.”

New Delhi (AsiaNews) – Rahul Gandhi has resigned as leader of India's Congress, the party founded by some of the Fathers of the Nation. Gandhi made the announcement online after weeks of speculation about his future.

The scion of the Gandhi-Nehru dynasty never managed to win the hearts of Indians. His resignation was expected after his party’s huge defeat in the general election earlier this year, which left it a rump of its old self – 52 seats against 303 for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (out of a total of 543).

In his farewell message, Rahul Gandhi says he is "responsible" for the defeat, stressing that "Accountability is critical for the future growth of our party." At the same time, he rejects calls for him to appoint a successor. "I trust the party will make the best decision regarding who can lead us with courage, love and fidelity,” he writes.

“My fight,” he goes on to say, “has never been a simple battle for political power. I have no hatred or anger towards the BJP but every living cell in my body instinctively resists their idea of India. This resistance arises because my being is permeated with an Indian idea that is and has always been in direct conflict with theirs.”

Indeed, “This is not a new battle; it has been waged on our soil for thousands of years. Where they see differences, I see similarity. Where they see hatred, I see love. What they fear, I embrace.”

In addition to defending a "compassionate" vision of India, he warns that “The attack on our country and our cherished Constitution that is taking place is designed to destroy the fabric of our nation.”

By contrast, “Our campaign was one of brotherhood, tolerance and respect for all of India’s people, religions and communities.”

Finally, “We didn’t fight a political party in the 2019 election. Rather, we fought the entire machinery of the Indian state, every institution [. . .] was marshalled against the opposition. [. . .] The stated objectives of the RSS, the capture of our country’s institutional structure, is now complete. Our democracy has been fundamentally weakened.”