Not this way, Rahul!
by Hrishikesh
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi did a great service to Indian democracy, by opposing the ordinance ' contemplated to overrule the Supreme Court ruling disqualifying convicted lawmakers ' and thus leading to its subsequent withdrawal by the UPA Government. However, the way he made a sudden appearance at the press conference addressed by his communication chief and called the ordinance nonsense, saying it should be torn and thrown away, flows from two possibilities: one, Rahul Gandhi has not yet made up his mind on whether or not he should assume the prime ministership, should the opportunity arise; two, Rahul has readied himself to lead the Congress and government after the 2014 elections, and has set the trend.
Even as the 2014 elections approach, the Congress, for its own reasons and unlike the BJP, is clearly in no mood to announce the name of its prime ministerial candidate. As a national party steeped in history and with an ideological base, it may not have the need to indulge in the exercise in order to emerge victorious after the polls. However, no one expected the Congress prince to act in such a brusque manner as influenced by the indecisiveness on his part. As it is, his discretion at the eleventh hour proved embarrassing to the party and the government, sending them into a spin, in the bid to control damage. Even Sonia Gandhi had to call up Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was abroad, to assuage his feelings. Subsequently, statements had to be issued that the Congress party and the UPA Government had high regard for Manmohan Singh.
As for the second situation: after Manmohan Singh returned from his US tour, Rahul Gandhi met him, partly to get his way forward on dropping the ordinance and partly to impress Manmohan Singh that he meant no insult to the head of government. By way of explaining or justifying his harsh language at the press conference, he said his language might be tough but his opinions were strong. He also said he was young, meaning the old guard should put up with his dismissive conduct. If Rahul Gandhi is thinking that the next generation leadership has arrived in the Congress and that he will be able to lead the party better by flying off the handle once too often, he has not seen the point. Because, the fact is that it was the same Congress party, whose leader and his father Rajiv Gandhi, had created ripples by speaking of the need to do away with 'power brokers' in the party, that contemplated the ordinance to overrule Supreme Court ruling now. Rahul Gandhi should realise that knee-jerk reactions would more reveal his lack of quiet resolve to implement his decisions than embarrass the old guard of his party.
News Posted: 7 October, 2013
|
