Proud my grandmother, father died defending India's philosophy: Rahul

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said he is proud that his grandmother Indira Gandhi and father Rajiv Gandhi were assassinated while standing for and defending the sense of India that is central to its civilisation and history.

In a conversation with Dipesh Chakrabarty, Representative, University of Chicago, Gandhi said his critics and trolls sharpen his sense of what he has to do for the country.

When asked if he was an unwilling entrant into politics like his father Rajiv Gandhi, the Congress leader said, "We believe in a certain sense of India and defend its certain political idea and philosophy. Elements of these are central themes in Indian civilization and history. I'm proud that my grandmother and father got killed while standing and defending something. It helps me understand them and my place and what I should be doing. There are no regrets," he said.

He said as he moved further in this journey, those ideas are crystallising more.

"If you were to ask me why I would think of joining politics 15-20 years ago, my answer would be very different from what it would be today. As I go further, there is a battle of ideas going on. As the other ideas attack me, it helps me refine myself. Trolls sharpen my sense of what I have to do. They are almost like a guide to me, they tell me where I have to go and what I've to stand for. It's an evolution," he added.