Rahul Gandhi calls for new age leadership, emphasises politics of love and empathy

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi addresses the Bharat Summit 2025 in Hyderabad on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

Senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi observed that democratic politics had fundamentally undergone a major change across the globe over the past decade and emphasised the need for constructing a new kind of leadership. He also reiterated the importance of politics based on love and empathy, rather than hatred and fear.

Addressing the Bharat Summit 2025 here on Saturday, Mr. Gandhi said, “The rules that applied a decade ago no longer hold. The tools that once worked cannot stand up to the modern concentration of capital, media and social media. The old model of a politician is obsolete; a new kind of leadership must be constructed.” He also stressed the need for the revival of democratic spaces.

Slamming the ruling BJP for its alleged attempts to instil fear in the public, he said that the voice of the Opposition and people is not heard but crushed. “All our avenues were compromised, including the media. That’s when we reached back into history and decided to walk from Kanyakumari to Kashmir — a 4,000-km journey,” he said, reflecting on his Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Mr. Gandhi said that the yatra, which was joined by thousands of people from various sections of society, had indeed helped him understand the value of listening to people’s problems patiently. “I discovered the transformative power of listening during the yatra. I spoke less and listened more, and that changed everything,” he said.

Recalling a moving story of a woman who met him during the yatra, he said that the majority of women in the country suffer greatly due to domestic violence. Explaining the power of love in social life and the political spectrum, he said, “Until the yatra, I had never used the word ‘love’ in politics. But once I did, people began to respond. Love and affection can disrupt hate more powerfully than any argument.”

Stating that disagreements on policy are normal, he said, “While their lens is anger, hatred and fear, our lens must be love, affection and deep listening. I am confident that this summit will help build the ideas we need for a new kind of politics in India and the world.”