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Gandhi urged alliance partners to put aside internal differences and unite in opposition to the BJP amid a string of setbacks in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi (Image: PTI/File)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday released his full speech to the INDIA bloc leadership on June 8, urging alliance partners to put aside internal differences and unite in opposition to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He also pushed back against the idea that opposition parties are not mobilising and don’t act together.
“I have no interest in fighting with you. I would have to be a madman to suddenly get up and say, I’m going to fight with you. Because you are our allies. You are our friends. You are the people we love,” he said in his speech, which was released on his YouTube channel.
“The Congress Party’s role as many of you have stated, is to unite all of you together with love and affection.”My speech to the INDIA Alliance leadership on 8th June.https://t.co/Ct3STc5BM8
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 12, 2026
Gandhi’s remarks come at a crucial juncture, as the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is facing an existential crisis with a string of high-profile resignations and rebellions in the Bengal Assembly and Parliament. Relations between Tamil Nadu’s DMK and Congress have also been strained over the latter’s decision to back the Vijay-led TVK government.
‘Mindset Needs To Be Changed’
Amid growing tensions within the Opposition alliance, Gandhi called for greater unity among its allies, saying the Congress was prepared to accept any criticism directed at it for the larger cause of opposition solidarity. “Our role, as many of you have seen, is to unite all of you together with love and affection,” he said.
Gandhi asserted that the Indian National Congress began as a resistance movement protecting the idea that all Indians are equal. He also accused the BJP of controlling all the institutions of the state and even the election process, which did not provide a level playing field for other parties.
“I have many friends in the TMC. They were convinced that they were sweeping the election in Bengal. I did not agree with this. I have seen what happens. I have seen it in Gujarat. I have seen it in Uttar Pradesh. I have seen it in Chhattisgarh. I have seen it in Haryana and Maharashtra. And yet, many of you are still not convinced,” he added.
Gandhi said resistance was the only way to fight the BJP. “The mindset has to change. The mindset must now be that we will not fight each other. We will not give the press a chance to attack us. We will resist,” he added.
‘This Is No Longer Politics’
The Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition also claimed that there was growing public anger over issues like the CBSE Class 12 results and the NEET-UG paper leak, which would create a space for the opposition parties to mobilise their resistance. He also accused the Centre of destroying democracy.
“From my perspective, I am more than happy to absorb any criticism from any quarter because for me, this is a religious duty. This is a spiritual duty. This is no longer politics. I will bear every single humiliation that I have to bear to knit this group together and make it succeed.”
About the Author
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in int…Read More
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