Rahul Gandhi Urges Kerala to Reject 'Culture of Silence' Ahead of Assembly Polls
Image Source: Internet
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has called on the people of Kerala to stand up against the 'culture of silence' advocated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Delivering a keynote address at a Congress event in Kochi to celebrate the party's victory in recent local body elections, Gandhi emphasized the importance of decentralization and the need to protect the democratic voice of the people. In the December 2025 local body polls, the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) secured a significant victory, winning 8021 of the 17337 gram panchayat wards, 1241 of the 2267 block panchayat wards, and 1458 of the 3240 municipality wards. Gandhi attributed this success to the people's rejection of the BJP's ideology, which he claimed aims to centralize power and silence the voices of the people. The Congress leader praised Kerala's 'sophisticated political culture' and commended the state's ability to produce strong and accountable local leaders. He urged young Congress members to respect and defend the trust placed in them by the people, while also emphasizing the need to address the issue of high unemployment in the state before the upcoming assembly polls. Gandhi also honored veteran writer and literary critic M Leelavathy with the 'Priyadarshini Literary Award', recognizing her as an icon not just in Kerala but across India. With the assembly polls on the horizon, Gandhi expressed confidence that the UDF leadership has the capacity to understand and deliver what the people need. He reassured the people of Kerala that they will not be silenced and that their voices will be heard loud and clear in the upcoming elections.
