Arrogance crept in Congress, need to rebuild the party, admits Rahul Gandhi

California: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that he is ready to take charge of his party in 2019 even as he attacked the BJP government for its decision to demonetise the old currency notes and rising cross-border terrorism. He made these remarks during an interaction with the students of the prestigious University of California, Berkeley, United States. The theme of the event was 'India@70: Reflections on the Path Forward' during which he shared his ideas about the need to rebuild Congress in view of future challenges facing the party.

Here are the Live updates:-

-Lucky to have very talented seniors among the party. Trying to make both work together: Rahul Gandhi

-There is no dearth of talent in the party, young people should be pushed forward: Rahul Gandhi

-The BJP gives a top-down vision. We construct a bottom-up vision: Rahul Gandhi

The BJP gives a top-down vision. We construct a bottom-up vision: Rahul Gandhi #RGinUS @UCBerkeley pic.twitter.com/YafWsb5ZI5 — Congress (@INCIndia) September 12, 2017

-Even Abhishek Bachchan is a dynast, also Ambani, that's how entire country is running: Rahul Gandhi

-Parliamentarians need to be involved in the conversation again: Rahul Gandhi

-Political reform is much more important than administrative. Rahul Gandhi

-Even Abhishek Bachchan is a dynast, also Ambani, that's how entire country is running: Rahul Gandhi

-What I sense is he doesn't converse with people he works with, even members of Parliament and BJP tell me that: Rahul Gandhi,

-He knows how to give a message to 3-4 different groups in a crowd, so his messaging ability is very effective and subtle: Rahul Gandhi

-Modi has certain skills, he is a very good communicator, much better than me: Rahul Gandhi

-A lady from crowd heckles moderators at Rahul Gandhi event, says "how is this free speech if you are controlling what is being asked?"

-So he (PM Modi) massively opened up space for the terrorists in Kashmir, and you saw the increase in violence: Rahul Gandhi

-PDP was instrumental in bringing youngsters in politics, but the day PM Modi made alliance with PDP, he destroyed them (PDP): Rahul Gandhi

-However, BJP destroyed it in 30 days: Rahul Gandhi

-By 2013, we basically broke the back of terror, I hugged PM Manmohan Singh and told him it was one of his biggest achievements: Rahul Gandhi

-When we started, terrorism was rampant in Kashmir, when we finished there was peace, we had broken the back of terrorism: Rahul Gandhi

-For 9 years, I worked behind the scenes with PM Manmohan Singh, P Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh and others on J&K: Rahul Gandhi

-Tremendous machine, all day they spread abuse about me, and the operation is run by the gentleman who is running our country: Rahul Gandhi

-There is a BJP machine, about 1000 guys sitting on computer and telling you about me: Rahul Gandhi 

-Modi clamped down on RTI. He shut it down.We got in trouble as we dramatically increased transparency: Rahul Gandhi

-Most of the country runs like this, so don't go after me,  Akhilesh Yadav a dynast, Stalin a dynast, Dhumal's son a dynast: Rahul Gandhi

-I am absolutely ready for that in 2019, but our party works according to organizational elections: Rahul Gandhi on taking charge of the party.

-Core constituency of right wing leaders are those who cannot get a job: Rahul Gandhi

-Around 2012, arrogance crept into Congress party and we stopped having conversations with people: Rahul Gandhi 

-Congress decides policy and vision through conversations and not by imposition: Rahul Gandhi

-I lost my father, my grandmother to violence, if I don't understand violence then who will?: Rahul Gandhi

-I am with them in their quest for justice, violence against anybody I strongly condemn: Rahul Gandhi

-I love the Sikh community, I am with them in their fight for justice: Rahul Gandhi

-Unlike China, India has to create jobs in a democratic environment: Rahul Gandhi

-Decisions like demonetisation taken without asking Chief Economic Advisor and Parliament caused tremendous damage: Rahul Gandhi

-Hatred, anger and violence can destroy us, the politics of polarisation is very dangerous: Rahul Gandhi

-Idea of non-violence is under attack today, yet it is only idea which can take humanity forward: Rahul Gandhi

-Small and entrepreneurs are the bedrock of India's economic progress: Rahul Gandhi

-There is no democratic country in history which has raised so many people out of poverty as India: Rahul Gandhi

-As Indira Gandhi was asked whether India will switch 'Left or Right'.  She said it will stand straight and tall: Rahul Gandhi

-Idea of non violence or 'ahimsa' is what has allowed this mass of people (India) to rise together: Rahul Gandhi

-Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi begins his interaction with students at Berkely University in California

The Congress leader is on a two-week visit to the US. Gandhi will interact with global thinkers and political leaders, and address overseas Indians as part of an outreach initiative by his party during his US visit. Rahul Gandhi's grandfather and the country's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, had earlier delivered a historic speech at the American university in 1949.