Jaipur, June 13 -- Claiming that "democracy in this country is in great danger," former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday called for all regional parties that emerged after splitting from the Congress to reunite and accept Rahul Gandhi as the leader of the INDIA bloc, asserting that a united opposition under his leadership could alter the country's voting pattern. Supporting recent remarks by Sanjay Raut, Gehlot said the time had come for all parties formed after splitting from Congress to return and work together under Rahul Gandhi's leadership. "There should be a clear message across the country that Rahul Gandhi is the leader of the INDIA alliance. People should see a direct contest between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi. If all opposition parties unanimously accept Rahul Gandhi as their leader, the voting pattern in the country will change," Gehlot said addressing the newsperson in Jaipur. The senior Congress leader clarified that parties such as the Shiv Sena and the Left parties had independent origins and could not be viewed in the same way. However, he said parties that emerged from Congress should reconsider their position in view of what he described as threats to democracy. "I believe democracy in this country is in great danger," Gehlot said, urging young people to actively participate in politics based on ideology. He encouraged students and youth to understand different political ideologies and join parties they believe serve the national interest. On Prime Minister Narendra Modi completing 12 years in office and surpassing the tenure of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Gehlot criticized what he termed efforts to compare Modi with Nehru. He alleged that large-scale publicity campaigns had been launched to project Modi's achievements while attempting to diminish Nehru's legacy. "In these 12 years, where did you ever acknowledge Nehru ji?" Gehlot asked. Defending Rahul Gandhi, Gehlot said the Congress leader had faced sustained political attacks over the years but managed to gradually earn public recognition, particularly after his nationwide yatras. He described Gandhi as an "honest, committed and dedicated" man to the welfare of the country and the poor. Gehlot said Rahul Gandhi's focus on social justice and welfare for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and minorities reflected a deeply held conviction rather than political expediency. The former chief minister asserted that more people had come to understand Rahul Gandhi's leadership and vision in recent years, despite continued criticism from political opponents and spread of hate campaigns against him. Commenting on the remarks, BJP spokesperson Ram Lal Sharma said that democracy is not in danger but is flourishing, and that people have simply lost interest in the Congress and other opposition parties....