NEW DELHI — Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said a “pandemic of greed” has spread across the country, with urban rot emerging as its most terrifying manifestation, as he urged people to demand accountability from those in power.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha made the remarks in a post on X, sharing a video of a journalist’s report purportedly from Sharma Enclave in Delhi’s Mubarakpur Dabas. The footage showed large swathes of waterlogged streets caused by sewage overflow in the locality, reported Telegraph India.
हर आम भारतीय की ज़िंदगी आज ऐसी ही नर्क की यातना बन गई है।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 21, 2026
सिस्टम सत्ता के सामने बिक चुका है। सब एक-दूसरे की पीठ थपथपाते हैं और मिलकर जनता को रौंदते हैं।
देश में लालच की महामारी फैल चुकी है, शहरी सड़न जिसका सबसे डरावना चेहरा है।
हमारा समाज इसलिए मर रहा है क्योंकि हमने इस सड़न… pic.twitter.com/qtDGEg3C7a
“Every ordinary Indian’s life today has turned into a hellish torment just like this. The system has sold out to those in power. Everyone pats each other on the back and then, together, they trample the public,” Rahul Gandhi said in his post, written in Hindi.
Describing the situation as a deeper societal crisis, the former Congress president said, “A pandemic of greed has spread across the country, with urban rot as its most-terrifying face.”
“Our society is dying because we have accepted this rot as the ‘New Normal’ — numb, silent, indifferent. Demand accountability or this rot will reach every doorstep,” he added, using the hashtag “TINA” — There Is No Accountability.
His comments come amid growing criticism by the opposition over civic infrastructure failures in major cities, with urban governance and public accountability emerging as key political flashpoints.
Days after the death of a software engineer in Noida, the Congress leader had, on Tuesday, flagged the lack of accountability and said the incident was a direct consequence of the culture of greed and disrespect to other living beings being propagated in India.
Yuvraj Mehta (27), who worked in Gurugram, was returning home when his car fell into a water-filled pit near a construction site on the night of January 16. He died after frantically pleading for help for around two hours.
Roads kill
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 20, 2026
Bridges kill
Fires kill
Water kills
Pollution kills
Corruption kills
Indifference kills
India’s urban collapse isn’t about lack of money, technology, or solutions.
It’s about lack of accountability.
TINA : There Is No Accountability. pic.twitter.com/68d1JgNw5z
