With all guns blazing, Rahul Gandhi targets BJP, RSS

Minutes after the BJP accepted defeat in Karnataka and CM-designate Yeddyurappa resigned, Congress president Rahul Gandhi stumped everyone by attacking the BJP legislators for leaving the house even when the national anthem was being played.

"Did you notice that after the entire exercise in the Vidhan Sabha in Karnataka, the BJP legislators and the Speaker chose to get up and leave the house before the national anthem...this is what we are fighting today. The idea that you can rubbish every single institution in this country, you can disrespect anybody in this country, simply because you happen to be in power," said Rahul.

Deliberately keeping celebrations at a low key, Rahul ingeniously used the Karnataka victory to veer the discourse around to attack the BJP, RSS, PM Modi and Amit Shah for "trampling" upon the democracy and its institutions.

"There is no institution in this country that is worthy of the respect of the Prime Minister, Amit Shah and the RSS and they believe that every single institution can be destroyed and stepped upon by them. I am very proud to say that they have been shown that in India power is not everything, money is not everything, corruption is not everything, in India the will of the people is everything," he said.

Even while congratulating people of Karnataka, his party and the JDS for victory, Rahul veered the direction to keep his focus sharp on PM Modi and the RSS.

"I would like to give my best wishes to the people of Karnataka...We have explained to the BJP and the RSS that there are limits to your arrogance, there are limits on how you are trying to run this country. And I hope the BJP and the RSS learn the lesson from this that the institution of this country, the will of the people of this country cannot be disrespected," he said.

In perhaps the strongest jibe against Prime Minister Narendra Modi till date, the Congress president accused him of directly authorising the purchase of Congress and JDS MLAs in Karnataka.

"The idea that Mr. Prime Minister spreads around the country that he is fighting corruption is a blatant lie. He is corruption. He is doing everything to subvert this nation and he is doing it across the board," said Rahul.

Wiser after Karnataka's post poll alliance, the Congress president was candid in admitting that he would be working with opposition parties to keep the BJP at bay in 2019.

"I am not a casteist, i don't believe in untouchability. The basic idea behind the RSS is that they should capture every single institution in this country and that is we are fighting. Women are feeling it, the opposition is feeling it, the Supreme Court is feeling it and even Mr Modi's MPs and MLAs are feeling it. This is what we are fighting and will continue to fight. We are going to work with the opposition to defeat the BJP," said Rahul.