At Jaipur, a glimpse of Rahul, the loving son
The usually reticent Rahul Gandhi showed a rare expressive side to him at the All India Congress Committee session here Sunday, sharing family stories and connecting with the audience.
The usually reticent Rahul Gandhi showed a rare expressive side to him at the All India Congress Committee session here Sunday, sharing family stories and connecting with the audience.
He also gave his mother, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, a tight hug before and after his speech.
“Last night, everybody congratulated me. But last night, my mother came to my room and cried. Why? Because she understands that the power so many people seek is actually a poison. She can see it as she is not attached to it. The only antidote to this poison is to not become attached to it. We should only use it to empower the people,” he said.
He spoke of his late grandmother and father.
“As a little boy, I loved badminton because it gave me balance in a complicated world. I was taught by two policemen who protected my grandmother. They were my friends. Then, one day, they killed my grandmother and took away the balance in my life.”
Rahul also recalled his late father Rajiv Gandhi’s speech after Indira Gandhi’s assassination, saying it held out a ray of hope that later transformed India. “Without hope, you cannot achieve anything. You can have plans, you can have ideas, but unless you have hope you cannot change anything.”