Rahul Gandhi calls fascists ‘loud’, says they emerge when systems collapse at Bharat Summit
Hyderabad: Rahul Gandhi on Saturday criticised what he described as fascist behaviour in politics, business and academia, saying such people become more visible when institutions and systems begin to fail. Speaking at the closing session of the Bharat Summit 2026 in Hyderabad, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha also launched a welfare scheme for gig workers in Telangana.
Gandhi attended the event alongside Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. His remarks came as BJP leaders criticised the summit and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) workers staged protests outside the venue.
During his address, the Congress leader said people he considered fascists were often unwilling to listen to others and preferred to dominate discussions. He contrasted their behaviour with what he described as the quieter and more humble majority.
#WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana: Addressing the Bharat Summit 2026, Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says, “… You find people at the head of businesses; you find them in academics, they know it all, and in politics we call them fascists. Fascists tend to scream. They shout, they scream, they don’t listen. The majority listens, pays attention, is humble, so the fascists tend to have a louder voice. And historically, the fascists jump out of the woodwork when systems collapse… And for the last decade, the fascists have been running, romping, jumping, shouting, screaming…”
— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2026
“You find people at the head of businesses; you find them in academics, they know it all, and in politics we call them fascists. Fascists tend to scream. They shout, they scream, they don’t listen. The majority listens, pays attention, is humble, so the fascists tend to have a louder voice,” Gandhi said.
He also linked the rise of such forces to the weakening of established systems.
“And historically, the fascists jump out of the woodwork when systems collapse… And for the last decade, the fascists have been running, romping, jumping, shouting, screaming,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Gandhi launched the Telangana Gig Workers’ Social Security and Welfare Scheme, which provides insurance, pension support and other benefits to workers employed through digital platforms.
He said the initiative followed a meeting with gig workers in 2023, when they had discussed their working conditions, financial concerns and need for social protection.
In a post on X, Gandhi recalled the assurance given to workers during that interaction.
“I had a long meeting with Telangana’s gig workers in 2023. We talked in detail. They shared their hardships, needs and demands. The promise was: your demands will be met, and you will definitely have protection,” he said.
Under the scheme, gig workers will receive accident insurance worth Rs 5 lakh and health insurance of Rs 10 lakh. One per cent of their earnings will also be set aside for pension contributions.
The initiative includes provisions giving workers rights over their data and earnings. Wi-Fi-enabled rest centres will also be established at different locations.
#WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana: Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says, “Today we have a businessman in this country. Before the BJP came to power, he was the 600th richest man in the world. Some months ago, he became the second richest man in the world. How did he become the richest man? By a fusion between politics and business. The line between business and politics, between Adani and PM Modi, has evaporated. It does not exist anymore. And you can see the outcome in political finance. You can see the outcome in the amount of assets that Adani captures… The result is that the BJP’s assets grow elevenfold in a decade… We found that our instruments don’t work. Every single instrument that we were used to that was effective, media, press conferences, interviews, public meetings- nothing worked… We had no support. Institutions were taken away… We discovered that no matter how many institutions the fascists control, no matter how much money they have, a direct link with the people of India is more powerful than anything they can possibly have.”
— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2026
“Today, we fulfilled that promise: Rs 5 lakh accident insurance, Rs 10 lakh health insurance, 1% of earnings for pension, rights over their data and earnings, Rest centres with WiFi at various locations,” Gandhi wrote.
He said these provisions had now been made legal rights for gig workers in Telangana.