RSS has very rigid vision for India and start-ups require free movement of ideas, says Gandhi.
RSS has very rigid vision for India and start-ups require free movement of ideas, says Gandhi.
Mumbai
: As the Centre's ambitious start-up mission got underway, Rahul Gandhi trained his guns on the Narendra Modi government, saying there is a contradiction in pushing for start-ups and being -"intolerant-".
The Congress Vice President also said that the RSS has a very -"rigid vision-" for India and that start-ups require free movement of ideas.
-"The ruling dispensation, particularly the RSS, has a clear idea on what the world should look like. They have a vision for India, which in my opinion is a very rigid vision. This country requires flexibility, openness and movement of ideas,-" Gandhi said, during an interaction with management students in suburban Vile Parle here on Saturday.
-"There's a huge contradiction in saying I want start ups but I will be intolerant,-" the Congress leader said.
-"You will fail on the economy and start up front if you are intolerant,-" he said.
-"Start ups require free movement of ideas. If I say you are a woman and your place is in the kitchen, I am curbing your freedom,-" he said.
He also charged that the BJP categorises people. -"The BJP has categories: There's a Hindu for them, a Muslim for them, a woman for them. I don't categorise. That's the difference between us and them,-" he said.
Rahul asked students not to put labels on people, things and industries. -"Saying this is a Hindu, this is a Muslim, this is a woman...hides values,-" he said, adding, -"When Steve Jobs was asked what was the most important class you took, he said: Japanese calligraphy-".
Asked how could India help provide conducive atmosphere for start ups, Gandhi said, -"Start ups require a whole set of eco systems that allows entrepreneurs to grow including infrastructure and regulation. The biggest problem is red tape.-"
-"Today, if you are a Rs 10000 crore company, you can't easily get finance. If you are a big business, you can get around regulations and put pressure on politicians,-" he said.
To a query on India's development compared to that of China, Gandhi said, -"It's pretty clear that China today is more powerful and economically stronger.-"
-"China's power is centralised. China grabs you and you can see the power it has. India is decentralised. It grabs you and you don't see India's power,-" he said.
-"India's power has never been military. It has come from the strength of ideas,-" the Congress leader said.
-"China has paid a huge price for what they have achieved. Millions of people paid for that with their lives. In India we didn't kill millions of people,-" he said.
To a query on why Indian institutions figure in the list of top 200 global varsities, Gandhi said, -"Our education institutions are no less than US education institutes.-"
Rahul apologised to students for the -"sometimes high handed way-" the security personnel at the event dealt with them.
