Kochi | Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused the RSS and the BJP of trying to centralise power, while asserting that his party believes in decentralisation.

Speaking at a Mahapanchayat of newly elected Congress local body members here, he said the Congress brought the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments to strengthen the three-tier Panchayati Raj system.

Gandhi stressed that protecting the Constitution means protecting decentralised governance at the grassroots level.

He said noted Malayalam writer M Leelavathi had warned him about a growing culture of silence spreading across the country.

Accusing the BJP, he said it wants people to remain silent so that a few corporates can control the nation's assets.

The Leader of Oppostion in the Lok Sabha asserted with certainty that the people of Kerala cannot be silenced and will speak out through elections.