NEW DELHI: English is "empowering" not "shameful" and must be taught to every child, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Friday and alleged that the BJP-RSS don't want poor children to learn this language because they don't want them to ask questions and attain equality.

Gandhi's comments came a day after Home Minister Amit Shah's reported remarks on English.

In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, "English is not a dam, it is a bridge. English is not shameful, it is empowering. English is not a chain -- it is a tool to break the chains."

"The BJP-RSS don't want poor kids of India to learn English - because they don't want you to ask questions, move ahead, and attain equality," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.

In today's world, English is as important as one's mother tongue because it will provide employment and boost one's confidence, Gandhi said.

"Every language of India has soul, culture, knowledge. We have to cherish them -- and at the same time teach English to every child. This is the path to an India that competes with the world, that gives every child an equal opportunity," the former Congress president said.