Bhopal: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi surrendered after a call from US President Donald Trump during the India-Pakistan military conflict.

Addressing a party convention in Bhopal, he said the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, didn’t budge in the 1971 war despite the US sending its Seventh Fleet.

“A call came from Trump and Narendra ji immediately surrendered – history is a witness, this is the character of BJP-RSS, they always bow down,” Rahul stated after launching the Congress’ ‘Sangthan Srijan Abhiyan’ here in the presence of Congress leaders and workers.

Rahul said that India split Pakistan in 1971 despite America’s threat.

“Congress’s Babbar Sher and lionesses fight with superpowers, they never bowed down,” he added.

He said no phone call came during the 1971 war. Even though the 7th fleet, weapons, and an aircraft carrier arrived, Indira Gandhi didn’t surrender and said she would do whatever she wanted.

Apparently referring to BJP and RSS, Rahul said they are habituated to writing “surrender letters” since Independence.

“This is the difference. This is their character. All of them are like this. They have a habit of writing surrender letters since the time of independence. Congress never surrenders. Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and (Vallabhbhai) Patel never surrendered, they fought against superpowers,” he said.

According to Rahul, the country is witnessing a conflict of ideology.

“A battle of ideology is going on. On the one side is Congress and the Constitution of India and on the other side is the BJP and RSS who do not believe in it (Constitution) and want to destroy it,” he alleged.

He alleged they have taken over all institutions in India and put their people in these bodies.

“They are slowly strangling the country. The first battle is for the Constitution. On the one side is Congress and its ideology and on the other side is the RSS standing against the Constitution,” he said.

The Congress leader claimed that the second fight is for social justice.

“Jitu (MP Congress president Jitu Patwari) said he spoke about caste census. In the Lok Sabha, I promised the country that whatever happens, the caste census will be passed by Parliament. I know BJP and RSS people very well, put a little pressure on them, push them a little, and they run away in fear,” he charged.

He said Congress will fight for social justice without succumbing to any pressure and ensure that the caste census is passed in Lok Sabha.

“Earlier Modi ji used to say that there are only four castes, but at the time of elections they (castes) become OBCs,” he said sarcastically.

Rahul said the Telangana model will be implemented for conducting a caste census, not the Bihar model which was “designed by babus”.

He accused the BJP government of empowering Adani and Ambani at the cost of the youths of the country.

Rahul was in Bhopal to launch the Sangthan Srijan Abhiyan’ for strengthening the Congress at the grassroots level aimed at infusing new enthusiasm among workers for the 2028 Madhya Pradesh polls.

Earlier in the day, he addressed a meeting of Congress’ political affairs committee and discussed key issues with senior party leaders.

He chaired a meeting at the state Congress office in Bhopal where general secretary in-charge Harish Choudhary, AICC organisation in-charge K C Venugopal, Patwari, Kamal Nath, former chief minister Digvijaya Singh, Leader of Opposition in the MP assembly Umang Singhar and other party leaders were present.

Later in the evening, Choudhary and other leaders briefed media persons about the day-long events.

They said Rahu Gandhi had directed the adoption of the Telangana model for conducting a caste census.

He also suggested ways to elect booth, mandal and district presidents and conclude this exercise in a definite time frame.