Shri Rahul Gandhi addressed the Party Leaders and Workers at AICC Headquarters on June 22, 2022.

Addressing the party workers, Shri Rahul Gandhi said- I welcome all the CWC members, MPs, MLAs, leaders and workers from across the country today. I hope you have all been great.

So, I was called to the ED office a few days back. It was a small room - let’s say of dimensions 12 feet by 12 feet. There was a table and a computer in the middle of the room. Three ED officers were sitting, one was standing outside and I sat in the room with them. I arrived at 11 o’clock on the first day and stayed there till late evening without moving much from the chair. They used to get up in between and leave. Their senior officers also needed instruction, so they used to keep coming and going. So, at ten thirty at night they say, “Rahul ji, tell us one thing. You have been sitting straight here for about 11-11.5 hours without getting up from the chair. Aren’t you tired? We are tired, but you do not seem to be tired.”They asked me my secret behind this? I thought about it and decided not to tell them the truth. I said that I practice ‘Vipassana’ in which one has to sit quietly for around 6-7 or even 8-10 hours. And, I have got used to it. So, I have no problem in sitting straight for such long stretches. Then, they enquired me about ‘Vipassana’, but I did not tell them the truth.

You know what the truth is - the truth is that Rahul ji was not sitting alone in that room. Every Congress leader, every Congress worker was sitting with Rahul ji in that room. You can tire one man, but you cannot tire crores of Congress party workers and leaders. Also, it was not only the Congress party leaders or workers who were sitting there in that room, but there was sitting in that room whoever fights against this government without fear. Is that clear? ED did not give special invitation to all those persons, but inside that room, all those who have been fighting for the democracy of India were sitting with me, so how could I get tired?

Then around five days later on the last day, they say, “Rahul ji, you answered so many questions patiently. You listened to every question, you answered them and then you even checked. So where do you get so much patience?” I said ”Brother, I cannot tell you this. First you asked me about fatigue, I told you about ‘Vipassana’. I cannot say anything about the patience. You know where the patience came from. I simply had to say that I have been working in the Congress party since 2004 and resultantly, patience has to be an inevitable trait of my being? Every leader of the Congress party understands this. Look, Sachin Pilot ji is sitting here. Everyone is sitting here. I am sitting here. So, this is our party, organization, Siddaramaiah ji is also sitting here, Randeep ji, all are sitting patiently with love. So, this is our party. It does not let us get tired and it teaches us to practise patience daily which ultimately gives us strength, drawing courage from which we fight. On the other hand, there is no need for patience there. You just have to fold your hands, bow down, not speak the truth and you are all set. So first of all, I want to thank you that you must have thought that Rahul Gandhi has been sitting alone with three-four ED officers for 5 days. It’s a huge misunderstanding. You were all sitting with me in the ED office and it was you who gave me your power. That’s why ED-CD is nothing. Nothing of that sort matters to me and let me tell you, Venugopal ji said, I am telling you, even the officers who interrogated me understood clearly that the leader of the Congress party cannot be intimidated. The leader of the Congress party cannot be suppressed, cannot be intimidated, because the Congress party fights for the truth. There is no dearth of patience in truth. Truth never gets tired. Lies will surely get tired, but truth never gets tired. Truth is replete with patience.

So, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. But let me assure you that this trivial matter of mine is not even important.

The most important thing in India today is employment. The government of Narendra Modi has broken the backbone of this country - the small and medium industries which give employment to this country. I have been saying this for months that our youth who run each morning to join the army, navy and air force, I tell them that the Prime Minister of India has broken the backbone of this country and this country will no longer be able to provide employment to its youth. No matter what the government does, this country will no longer be able to provide employment to its youth. Narendra Modi ji has handed over this country to two-three big industrialists. These two-three industrialists cannot get employment for the country and the last hope for the youth was that of patriotism, was that of the Army, was that of the Armed Forces but, these people have closed even that path. They used to talk about ‘One Rank-One Pension’, and now there will be ‘No Rank-No Pension’. Now you run early in the morning, join the army and then go back home and remember that I guarantee that when you go home after serving the army, you will not get any employment. There will be no employment.

On the other hand, the Chinese army is sitting inside India. China’s army has snatched more than thousand square kilometers of land from us. This is a fact that the Government of India has accepted itself. The army should be strengthened and the government is weakening the army and its result will ensue when war happens. And remember what I am talking about. These people are weakening the army we have. The country will suffer and these people call themselves nationalists. So, the case of ED is a small matter, leave it aside. The most important matter, the most important thing is our youth. They run at 4 in the morning every day in every state. It is our job to protect their future, it is our duty, we have to do this. I had said about farmers that Modi ji will have to withdraw this bill. I had said that long before and that is what actually happened. Now the Congress party is saying that this new ‘Agnipath’ scheme of Narendra Modi ji will also have to be withdrawn and every youth of India will be found supporting us in this work. Because the youth of India knows that true patriotism is about strengthening the army and not weakening it.

You gave me so much power. I told you that for the last 5 days you all were sitting with me in the ED, everyone, every worker, every leader, all of you were sitting with me. You helped me. You showered me with your love. For this, I want to thank you from my heart and resolve that together we will force the govt. to withdraw this ‘Agnipath’ Scheme initiated by Narendra Modi ji and not let them deceive the army or the country. Many thanks to you all again. Namastey!