Rahul Gandhi responds to ‘remote-controlled’ new Congress president charges

Rahul Gandhi said Shashi Tharoor and Mallikarjun Kharge, who are standing in the Congress presidential election, have a position and perspective and are people of statute and understanding.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday claimed that whoever is elected as the party's new president next month, “will not be remote-controlled” by the Gandhi family, and have a free hand in taking decisions.

The Congress MP said Shashi Tharoor and Mallikarjun Kharge, who are standing in the Congress president election, have a position and perspective and are people of statute and understanding.

“I don't think that either of them will be a remote control… frankly, this tone is insulting to both of them,” Rahul Gandhi said at a press conference during the Karnataka leg of his party's ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’.

Senior Congress Kharge on Friday rubbished talks that he would act as a remote control and proxy of the party’s incumbent president Sonia Gandhi after being elected to the top post and said that all Congress presidents are selected through consensus unlike the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Rahul Gandhi also said by nature he believes in “tapasya” and wanted an element of suffering in this communication to people through the yatra which seeks to cover a distance of about 3,500 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir on foot.

Rahul Gandhi held an interaction with the masses as the yatra resumed from Mayasandra, Tumakuru in Karnataka, and said the party believes in fighting against those who spread hatred.

He also highlighted the fact that the community of the person spreading hatred doesn't matter.

"My view is that it doesn't matter who the person spreading hatred is, it doesn't matter which community they come from, spreading hatred and violence is an anti-national act and we will fight against such people," said the Congress MP.

"I have always stood for a certain idea, that disturbs the BJP and RSS. Thousands of crores of media money and energy have been spent to shape me in a way which is untruthful and wrong. That will continue as that machine is financially rich and well-oiled."

This was his third press interaction during the march. The yatra is in its Karnataka leg and marked its 31st day on Saturday.

The Congress MP from Wayanad said the Bharat Jodo Yatra is being held to combat the divisive politics of the BJP-led Centre and to awaken the people of the country to the dangers of economic inequalities, social polarisation and political centralisation.

(With inputs from agencies)