Rather be 'beheaded' than step into RSS office: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday issued a strong statement against the saffron brigade led by the Sangh Parivar as he made it clear that nothing can ever force him to see eye to eye with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and that he prefers to be "beheaded" than step into an RSS office.

Rahul made his clash with the Sangh ideology clear amid growing speculations about BJP leader and his cousin Varun Gandhi's entry into Congress, as he said that their ideologies do not match.

Gandhi said that Varun at some point accepted the ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh and added that he cannot accept this ever.

"Varun at some point, maybe even today, accepted that ideology and made it his own. I can not accept that thing," the Wayanad MP said during a press briefing.

Gandhi said that he will have to be "beheaded" to make him enter the RSS office.

"Varun Gandhi is in BJP if he walks here then it might be a problem for him. My ideology doesn't match his ideology. I cannot go to the RSS office, I'll have to be beheaded before that. My family has an ideology. Varun adopted another and I can't accept that ideology," he said.

"I can surely meet him and hug him, but cannot accept that ideology," Gandhi added at a press conference during the Punjab-leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

The Congress MP accused the BJP and the RSS of capturing all institutions in the country, and claimed there is "pressure" on the media, Election Commission and the judiciary.

Gandhi called for an "independent media and institutions" citing his party's philosophy, and said that media is a "feedback channel" for the Congress governments.

"The media is being controlled and pressured. The reporters are not at much fault. You have constraints. You have to do what your owner tells you to do. I understand as you tell me. I'm not criticising you. I'm criticising the structure of media," he said.

"Congress' philosophy is of an independent media and institutions. Even if Congress wants to control media, we do not have the capability of implementing it because our structure is not as centralised as the BJP. We want independent and fair media," Gandhi added.

Alleging that media is playing the "role of distraction", the Congress leader said that it should rather play the "role of a watchdog".

"Hatred is being spread in the media. The media is playing the role of distraction instead of a watchdog. Your role should be of a watchdog. The small businessmen are being crushed, farmers are being looted, but you distract by doing Hindu-Muslim, Bollywood, sports," he said.

Gandhi said that the media should put pressure on the government.

"If you were given freedom, you would have asked about the data which we have presented here. You should be raising the issues like farmers' issues, and employment issues. We would like the media which puts pressure on the government. You are feedback channels for the Congress governments," he said.

He also took a swipe at the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab and asserted that Punjab should be run from Punjab only, not from Delhi.

"Today all the institutions of the country are controlled by the RSS and the BJP. There is a pressure on all institutions. Press is under pressure, bureaucracy is under pressure, the Election Commission is under pressure, they put pressure on the judiciary,” he charged.

“This is not a fight between one political party and another political party. It is now a fight between the institutions of the country, which were captured by them, and the opposition,” he said.

Normal democratic processes in the country is now missing, he claimed.

Replying to a question on Bhagwant Mann, Gandhi said he had told the Punjab chief minister that Punjab can be run from Punjab only.

“It is a historical fact. If it is run from Delhi, then people of Punjab will not accept it,” Gandhi, whose Bharat Jodo Yatra is passing through the state, said.

Gandhi on Monday had told Mann that he should not become a remote control of anyone and should run the state independently.

Reacting sharply, Mann had said he was made the chief minister by the public and reminded Gandhi of the "insult" inflicted on Amarinder Singh by the Congress by unceremoniously removing him from the post.

With inputs from PTI