Congress president Rahul Gandhi Saturday alleged that institutions such as the Supreme Court and the Election Commission were being "systematically captured" by the RSS and said India cannot be run on one single idea.

There is a feeling among the people that one ideology is being imposed upon them, Gandhi said at an interaction with academicians here.

"(RSS chief) Mohan Bhagwat in his earlier speeches has said: 'We are going to organise the nation'. Who is he to organise the nation? The nation will organise itself. In next couple of months, their fantasy will be smashed," he asserted.

During the interaction with eminent academicians from across the country at the Siri Fort, Gandhi said there are two visions of India and the Congress' vision is that India constitutes of people who live in it.

The only way to understand India is talk to its people, he said.

Gandhi alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's vision of India is that of a "golden bird" which it views as a product.

The product has to be monetised and utilised, and they will decide who will do this, the Congress chief said.

"What we are fighting is the attempted capture of this 'golden bird' by the RSS. They have understood very clearly that electoral battle for them, they can win it once, but they can't repeatedly win it.

"They have understood that. So, now what they are doing is that they are saying elections will come and elections will go, let us capture all of India's institutions and let us capture the golden bird with a bypass surgery," he said.

The educational institutions, the Supreme Court and the Election Commission of India, all these are "systematically being captured", Gandhi alleged.

Citing an example, he alleged, "When Mr (Narendra) Modi came to power, a person from Gujarat was chosen to head the SPG. In a short time, he left the position. He told me that he refused a list of SPG officers handpicked by the RSS, and that is why he was sent home."

Gandhi claimed that the reason behind this attack on institutions was that there were monetary benefits for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

"For me, it is impossible to lead India, without having a conversation with India. The idea is, I should be a reflection of what is in your heart," he said.

Gandhi told the professors that he knows that they were feeling under pressure and feeling that an ideology was being imposed on them.

"You feel that one syllabus has now suddenly become acceptable to every single institution in India and I want you to understand and realise that you are not alone when you are fighting this battle, this sense, this feeling that you are getting is not only in your heart, it is in the heart of every single Indian person, it is in the heart of the farmers, it is in the heart of the labourers, it is in the heart of small and medium business," Gandhi said.

A country of over a billion people cannot possibly be run on one single idea and the fact that people are allowed to express is the strength of the country, Gandhi said.

"Look at 3,000 years of India's history, we are going to win, we are not going to lose," Gandhi asserted.

Attacking the government over its education policy, Gandhi said government institutions should be given precedence over private institutions and the government should put money to strengthen them.

"There has to be space for private institutions, but the guiding light, the foundation, the superstructure has to be the public education system," he said.

"The quality private institutions must look towards government institutions and say look that is an IIT that is something we aspire to, it shouldn't be the other way round," he said, adding that the government has to put money into the system.

He also recalled that former US president Barack Obama had said the real competition for America was from the engineers, doctors and lawyers coming out of India. This was praise for the teachers of India, Gandhi said.

The Congress chief asserted that when it comes to the Indian education system, two things are non-negotiable -- teachers should be able to express and they should be given a vision for their own future.

Gandhi said the Congress was commencing its work in drafting a manifesto and invited teachers to form a delegation and come forward with their demands.&nbsp;

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Saturday alleged that institutions such as the Supreme Court and the Election Commission were being "systematically captured" by the RSS and said India cannot be run on one single idea.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Saturday alleged that institutions such as the Supreme Court and the Election Commission were being "systematically captured" by the RSS and said India cannot be run on one single idea. There is a feeling among the people that one ideology is being imposed upon them, Gandhi said at an interaction with academicians here. "(RSS chief) Mohan Bhagwat in his earlier speeches has said: 'We are going to organise the nation'. Who is he to organise the nation? The nation will organise itself. In next couple of months, their fantasy will be smashed," he asserted. During the interaction with eminent academicians from across the country at the Siri Fort, Gandhi said there are two visions of India and the Congress' vision is that India constitutes of people who live in it. The only way to understand India is talk to its people, he said. Gandhi alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's vision of India is that of a "golden bird" which it views as a product. The product has to be monetised and utilised, and they will decide who will do this, the Congress chief said. "What we are fighting is the attempted capture of this 'golden bird' by the RSS. They have understood very clearly that electoral battle for them, they can win it once, but they can't repeatedly win it. "They have understood that. So, now what they are doing is that they are saying elections will come and elections will go, let us capture all of India's institutions and let us capture the golden bird with a bypass surgery," he said. The educational institutions, the Supreme Court and the Election Commission of India, all these are "systematically being captured", Gandhi alleged. Citing an example, he alleged, "When Mr (Narendra) Modi came to power, a person from Gujarat was chosen to head the SPG. In a short time, he left the position. He told me that he refused a list of SPG officers handpicked by the RSS, and that is why he was sent home." Gandhi claimed that the reason behind this attack on institutions was that there were monetary benefits for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). "For me, it is impossible to lead India, without having a conversation with India. The idea is, I should be a reflection of what is in your heart," he said. Gandhi told the professors that he knows that they were feeling under pressure and feeling that an ideology was being imposed on them. "You feel that one syllabus has now suddenly become acceptable to every single institution in India and I want you to understand and realise that you are not alone when you are fighting this battle, this sense, this feeling that you are getting is not only in your heart, it is in the heart of every single Indian person, it is in the heart of the farmers, it is in the heart of the labourers, it is in the heart of small and medium business," Gandhi said. A country of over a billion people cannot possibly be run on one single idea and the fact that people are allowed to express is the strength of the country, Gandhi said. "Look at 3,000 years of India's history, we are going to win, we are not going to lose," Gandhi asserted. Attacking the government over its education policy, Gandhi said government institutions should be given precedence over private institutions and the government should put money to strengthen them. "There has to be space for private institutions, but the guiding light, the foundation, the superstructure has to be the public education system," he said. "The quality private institutions must look towards government institutions and say look that is an IIT that is something we aspire to, it shouldn't be the other way round," he said, adding that the government has to put money into the system. He also recalled that former US president Barack Obama had said the real competition for America was from the engineers, doctors and lawyers coming out of India. This was praise for the teachers of India, Gandhi said. The Congress chief asserted that when it comes to the Indian education system, two things are non-negotiable -- teachers should be able to express and they should be given a vision for their own future. Gandhi said the Congress was commencing its work in drafting a manifesto and invited teachers to form a delegation and come forward with their demands.

Institutions like SC, EC being 'systematically captured' by RSS: Rahul Gandhi

Thai voters approved a junta-backed constitution in a referendum today, preliminary results showed, an outcome that paves the way for an election next year, but will also require future elected governments to rule on the military&#39;s terms. Final results are still awaited. 
 
Voters handed the junta led by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha a convincing win in its first major popularity test at the ballot box since it seized power in a 2014 coup. 
 
With 94 per cent of the vote counted, early results from the election commission showed 61.4 per cent of Thais had voted for the charter, while 37.9 per cent rejected it. Full results are due on Wednesday. 
 
The junta says the constitution is designed to heal more than a decade of divisive politics in Thailand that has dented economic growth and left scores dead in civil unrest. 
 
But Thailand&#39;s major political parties and critics of the government say the charter will enshrine the military&#39;s political role for years to come. 
 
The win was a blow to the powerful Shinawatra clan and their allies, whose populist politics are reviled by Thailand&#39;s military-royalist establishment. Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted as prime minister in a coup in 2006 and his sister Yingluck&#39;s government was toppled by Prayuth in 2014. 
 
The acting head of the Peau Thai Party, which carried Yingluck to power, said Thais may have voted pragmatically for the charter as the fastest route to an election. 
 
&quot;The reason most Thais accepted the constitution is because they want to see a general election quickly,&quot; Wirot Pao-in told reporters at the Peau Thai&#39;s Bangkok headquarters on Sunday. &quot;All sides must now help move the country forward.&quot; 
 
Across town at the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship group, the tone was less conciliatory. 
 
&quot;What will we do next? Tell Prayuth that, although it seems he is winning, this is not a victory he can be proud of because his opponents have not been able to fight at their best due to threats and harassment,&quot; said Jatuporn Prompan, chairman of the pro-Shinawatra UDD. 
 
Some people wept as the result became clear at the UDD headquarters in Bangkok. 
 
Intimidation 
 
The junta, formally known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), banned debate about the constitution and campaigning ahead of the vote. The authorities have detained and charged dozens of people who have spoken against it, including politicians and student activists. 
 
&quot;(It was) a one-sided campaign in which the junta indirectly encouraged &#39;yes&#39; votes and arrested or intimidated referendum opponents,&quot; said Paul Chambers, director of research at the Institute of Southeast Asian Affairs in the city of Chiang Mai. 
 
&quot;As a result many voters did not show up while others felt compelled to vote &#39;yes&#39;.&quot; 
 
Turnout of around 55 per cent was below the 80 per cent targeted by the Election Commission. That likely favoured the government, said Thithinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Bangkok&#39;s Chulalongkorn University. 
 
&quot;This is a hands-down convincing margin of approval for the military government,&quot; he said. &quot;This is going to give the junta a signal to go full steam ahead for elections next year. They will feel confident from this vote about rolling out their plans for the transitional period.&quot; 
 
Around 200,000 police were deployed for the referendum and voting passed without major incident. 
 
The yes vote will likely be cheered by Thai financial markets. 
 
&quot;The outcome is our best case scenario and investors should react positively as it&#39;s clear that the election will happen next year,&quot; said Kasem Prunratanamala, head of research at CIMB Securities. 
 
&quot;Foreign investors had been waiting for the vote and may invest more now.&quot; 
 
Decade of turmoil 
 
The vote comes amid concerns about the health of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 88. The military has for decades invoked its duty as defender of the deeply revered monarch to justify its interventions in politics. 
 
Critics say the charter is the military&#39;s attempt to make good on their failure to banish Thaksin from Thai politics after the 2006 coup. 
 
Senior army officers have told Reuters the new charter aims to make future coups unnecessary by weakening political parties and ensuring the military a role in overseeing Thailand&#39;s economic and political development. 
 
Under the constitution, which would be Thailand&#39;s 20th since the military abolished an absolute monarchy in 1932, a junta-appointed Senate with seats reserved for military commanders would check the powers of elected lawmakers. 
 
Thaksin called the charter a &quot;folly&quot;, saying it would perpetuate the junta&#39;s power and make it impossible to govern Thailand. 
 
Thaksin retains strong influence despite living in self-imposed exile. His support base in the rural northeast bucked the trend and voted against the charter on Sunday. 
 
Decha Shangkamanee, a day labourer in Khon Kaen, said he had voted against it because he disliked the junta, but did not expect the referendum to make much difference. 
 
&quot;I know that nothing really changes today with the way the country is ruled,&quot; he said. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

With 94 per cent of the vote counted, early results from the election commission showed 61.4 per cent of Thais had voted for the charter

Thai voters approved a junta-backed constitution in a referendum today, preliminary results showed, an outcome that paves the way for an election next year, but will also require future elected governments to rule on the military's terms. Final results are still awaited. Voters handed the junta led by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha a convincing win in its first major popularity test at the ballot box since it seized power in a 2014 coup. With 94 per cent of the vote counted, early results from the election commission showed 61.4 per cent of Thais had voted for the charter, while 37.9 per cent rejected it. Full results are due on Wednesday. The junta says the constitution is designed to heal more than a decade of divisive politics in Thailand that has dented economic growth and left scores dead in civil unrest. But Thailand's major political parties and critics of the government say the charter will enshrine the military's political role for years to come. The win was a blow to the powerful Shinawatra clan and their allies, whose populist politics are reviled by Thailand's military-royalist establishment. Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted as prime minister in a coup in 2006 and his sister Yingluck's government was toppled by Prayuth in 2014. The acting head of the Peau Thai Party, which carried Yingluck to power, said Thais may have voted pragmatically for the charter as the fastest route to an election. "The reason most Thais accepted the constitution is because they want to see a general election quickly," Wirot Pao-in told reporters at the Peau Thai's Bangkok headquarters on Sunday. "All sides must now help move the country forward." Across town at the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship group, the tone was less conciliatory. "What will we do next? Tell Prayuth that, although it seems he is winning, this is not a victory he can be proud of because his opponents have not been able to fight at their best due to threats and harassment," said Jatuporn Prompan, chairman of the pro-Shinawatra UDD. Some people wept as the result became clear at the UDD headquarters in Bangkok. Intimidation The junta, formally known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), banned debate about the constitution and campaigning ahead of the vote. The authorities have detained and charged dozens of people who have spoken against it, including politicians and student activists. "(It was) a one-sided campaign in which the junta indirectly encouraged 'yes' votes and arrested or intimidated referendum opponents," said Paul Chambers, director of research at the Institute of Southeast Asian Affairs in the city of Chiang Mai. "As a result many voters did not show up while others felt compelled to vote 'yes'." Turnout of around 55 per cent was below the 80 per cent targeted by the Election Commission. That likely favoured the government, said Thithinan Pongsudhirak, director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University. "This is a hands-down convincing margin of approval for the military government," he said. "This is going to give the junta a signal to go full steam ahead for elections next year. They will feel confident from this vote about rolling out their plans for the transitional period." Around 200,000 police were deployed for the referendum and voting passed without major incident. The yes vote will likely be cheered by Thai financial markets. "The outcome is our best case scenario and investors should react positively as it's clear that the election will happen next year," said Kasem Prunratanamala, head of research at CIMB Securities. "Foreign investors had been waiting for the vote and may invest more now." Decade of turmoil The vote comes amid concerns about the health of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 88. The military has for decades invoked its duty as defender of the deeply revered monarch to justify its interventions in politics. Critics say the charter is the military's attempt to make good on their failure to banish Thaksin from Thai politics after the 2006 coup. Senior army officers have told Reuters the new charter aims to make future coups unnecessary by weakening political parties and ensuring the military a role in overseeing Thailand's economic and political development. Under the constitution, which would be Thailand's 20th since the military abolished an absolute monarchy in 1932, a junta-appointed Senate with seats reserved for military commanders would check the powers of elected lawmakers. Thaksin called the charter a "folly", saying it would perpetuate the junta's power and make it impossible to govern Thailand. Thaksin retains strong influence despite living in self-imposed exile. His support base in the rural northeast bucked the trend and voted against the charter on Sunday. Decha Shangkamanee, a day labourer in Khon Kaen, said he had voted against it because he disliked the junta, but did not expect the referendum to make much difference. "I know that nothing really changes today with the way the country is ruled," he said. (Reuters)

Thai junta passes ballot box test with referendum win in preliminary results

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