Published 15:00 IST, January 14th 2021
Rahul Gandhi says 'govt will roll back farm laws, Mark my words; Jallikattu safe for bull'
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi did a U-turn on his party's opinion on Jallikattu and claimed that 'it was safe for everybody' as he attended an event in Madurai
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi did a U-turn on his party's opinion on Jallikattu and claimed that 'it was safe for everybody' as he attended an event in Madurai on Thursday. Arriving at Avaniyapuram to witness the Jallikattu event accompanied by ally DMK's Youth Wing Secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin, Rahul Gandhi claimed that he had 'got a fair idea' of why the people of Tamil Nadu appreciated Jallikatu and claimed that there was 'absolutely no chance of the bull getting injured'. Incidentally, it was the same Congress party which opposed Jallikattu and promised to ban the sport in their election manifesto in 2016.
"I came today on a festive occasion. Happy Pongal!. I also witnessed Jallikattu and had quite a nice time. I got a sense of why Tamil people appreciate Jallikattu. Many people had mentioned to me that Jallikattu is harmful to the bulls. I witnessed it today and as they say, the way it was done today, there was absolutely no chance of the bull getting injured. In fact, if anyone was to get injured it was the young man. It is safe for everybody", Rahul Gandhi said speaking to the media after attending the Jallikattu event.
Launching an apparent 'suppression' attack on the BJP, Rahul Gandhi claimed that the intention of his visit to the southern state was to learn about the Tamil language, culture and the people. The Congress leader vowed to not allow the suppression of the Tamil spirit and hailed it as the 'soul of the country'. Rahul Gandhi went on to announce that he would be returning to Tamil Nadu on multiple occasions in the future.
"One of the main reasons I came was today the govt in Delhi is under the impression that they can destroy the cultures of this country. They believe they can suppress the emotions of the Tamil people, their emotions and suppress the spirit of the Tamil people. I came to give them a message - nobody is going to suppress the Tamil spirit. It cannot be suppressed. Secondly, it is the worst thing you can do for this country. It is the essence of this country. They are the soul of our country., I'm completely against this idea of one idea, one language and one notion in this country. That is my message. I also wanted to say that I will be coming back here numerous times and I would like to thank Tamil people as I learn about them. I also thank all the youngsters who took part in Jallikattu today.", he added.
Rahul Gandhi says 'Centre will take back farm laws, mark my words'
When asked about the ongoing farmers' protest in Delhi, Rahul Gandhi said, "The govt is not just neglecting them, they are conspiring to destroy them. They want to benefit two or three of their friends. They want to give the land of the farmer, his produce and give it to his friends. The other thing is that the farmers are the backbone of this country. If anyone thinks you can suppress farmers and the country will prosper, they have to look at history. Mark my words, the Centre will take back these laws."
Lastly, he asked, "What is China doing inside Indian territory?"
BJP slams Rahul Gandhi after attempt to spark language row
BJP leaders took on Rahul Gandhi after his attempt to spark a language row and for his party's U-turn regarding Jallikattu. BJP's Amit Malviya noted that Congress had always opposed traditional sport and festive while the BJP supported it and that Rahul Gandhi was sounding like a tourist who landed up in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu BJP leader Khushboo Sundar said that the Congress party had nothing left in Tamil Nadu and that Rahul Gandhi's love came only before the elections. The former Congress leader further claimed that Rahul Gandhi's ally DMK did not appreciate or respect him and hence MK Stalin was not present on the stage in Madurai.
Updated 15:00 IST, January 14th 2021