Congress president won’t be remote-controlled: Rahul Gandhi
Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor and former Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge are in the fray for the upcoming presidential contest in the Congress
New Delhi Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday described party leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor as people of stature and understanding, and said it was insulting to suggest that either of them can be remote-controlled by the Gandhi family as party president.
Addressing a press conference in Karnataka’s Tumkur during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, he reiterated his parliamentary speech saying India is a union of states. Highlighting India’s regional aspirations is not just a political counter to Bharatiya Janata Party’s “unitary approach”, but is also the “nature of the Indian union”, he added.
“Both the people who are standing have a position and perspective. They are people of stature and understanding,” said Gandhi. “I don’t think either of them is going to be a remote control (party chief), and frankly this tone is insulting to both of them.”
Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor and former Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge are in the fray for the upcoming presidential contest in the grand old party. Election to the Congress chief’s post will take place on October 17 after a gap of 22 years. The result will be announced on October 19.
The BJP had earlier claimed that the Congress president will act as the “proxy” or “remote control” of incumbent party chief Sonia Gandhi.
A day after industrialist Gautam Adani pledged huge investments in Rajasthan, Rahul Gandhi said the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in the state has not given any preferential treatment to the businessman, and asserted that he is not against corporates but is against monopolies.
“Mr Adani has committed ₹60,000 crore to Rajasthan. No chief minister can refuse such an offer. In fact, it would not be correct for a chief minister to refuse such an offer,” said the Congress leader. “My contention is in the use of political power to help certain chosen businesses. My opposition is to two-three or four large businesses being helped politically to monopolise every single business in this country.”
Condemning the BJP’s remarks, Gehlot on Saturday said in Jaipur that it was not a private programme and 3,000 delegates attended it. “In such a situation, why do they (BJP) want to create a hurdle? I condemn these people. They talked about Gautam Adani yesterday (Friday). Be it Gautam Adani or any Adani, or Ambani or Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah, we will welcome all of them here. We want employment, we want investment,” he said.
Talking about the Union government recently banning the Popular Front of India (PFI), Rahul Gandhi said his party will fight anybody involved in any “anti-national” act. “Spreading hatred and violence in India is an anti-national act and we will fight anybody who spreads hatred and violence in this country,” he added.
The former Congress president said the Bharat Jodo Yatra’s objective was to bring India together. “India is being divided, violence is being spread in our society, and this is damaging for our country,” he said.
Lakhs of people have joined the yatra as they are tired of the type of politics being done under the BJP and the prevailing unemployment, price rise and economic inequality, the Congress leader said.
Rahul Gandhi has been at the heart of the Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra flagged off on September 7 from Kanyakumari. The foot march has so far covered over 700km. “It is not just me that is doing the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Lakhs of people have joined the yatra,” he said. “This is not just the expression of the Congress party, but is the expression of the people of India.”
He further said that the yatra was aimed at raising three issues — violence and hatred “the BJP-RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) are spreading”; the “massive concentration of wealth being allowed” which is destroying “India’s economy and resulting in unemployment”; and massive and continuous “increase in inflation”.
Sharing his experience of the foot march, he said: “For me, it’s been a learning experience. But frankly, it hasn’t even begun yet. It’s been only 31 days. I can already see the advantages of this communication.”
“I believe in ‘tapasya’ (struggle), that is my nature, my family’s nature. In this communication with people, I wanted an element of suffering for myself. I didn’t want it to be easy,” he added.
He also said his party was opposing the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 as it is “an attack on the ethos of our country, it distorts our history, culture”.
“We are opposing the policy as it concentrates power in the hands of a few people and centralises the education system. We want a decentralised education system. We want an education system that reflects our history, tradition and languages,” he added.
