Aag laga denge, promises Rahul as critics speak out

To say the knives have come out for Rahul Gandhi would be to ignore the long tradition of sycophancy within the Congress party. But incredibly, the first voices of criticism have begun to emerge after the party’s crushing loss at the general elections. [caption id=“attachment_1271111” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Milind Deora in this file photo. AFP[/caption] So, even as party vice-president Rahul Gandhi spoke to party workers and voters in Amethi promising to perform the role of an effective opposition, former Union Minister Milind Deora, who himself suffered a shock defeat in Mumbai South to a low-profile Shiv Sena candidate, spoke out against Rahul’s “set of advisers”. Speaking to The Indian Express, Deora said faulting Rahul’s leadership alone was incorrect and that there were “many factors” leading to the party’s poor showing. But that didn’t stop the former two-term MP from pointing out that the “people surrounding that person” would have to take some of the blame. “The question is whether the set of advisers had their ears to the ground… There were strong murmurs in the party that people who are calling the shots are people with no electoral experience… no stature, standing, respect and credibility in the party. They were in charge of important departments and held key positions. This whole group of people did not listen to what party cadres and MPs were saying. They did not allow diverse opinion to come through… and shut out a lot of people. Many of us knew the party has become unresponsive. Had the system been more open and accomodative and had the diverse opinions been openly heard, corrective measures could have been taken,” he told the paper. MPs and ministers had begun to feel their voices were not being heard in the party, Deora said. Then, without taking any names, he seemed to go one step further to suggest that the party high command would have to be held accountable too: “It is is not the advisers alone. The people who take the advice also have to bear responsibility. Those who gave advice and those who received the advice as also those who feel they can give better advice — all have to bear responsibility,” he was quoted as saying. Already, Rajya Sabha MP and former minister Ashwani Kumar has said the party needs to promote honest dissent and debate. He also said the blame for the loss rested partly on “so-called party strategists whose only contribution so far has been to mislead the leadership”. But he didn’t take aim at the Gandhis who actually took their advice and made the final call on strategy. But there is already indication that the Congress party’s allies will not be as coy. The Indian Union Muslim League didn’t mince any words in criticising Rahul Gandhi’s “one-man show”. In an editorial in IUML mouthpiece Chandrika, the party has said the Congress vice-president’s random travelling across India had failed to “touch the soul” of India. It openly questioned the decision of the party to move its election war room to Rahul’s Tughlaq Lane residence where the party vice-president and his small coterie of acolytes worked, keeping even veteran leaders waiting outside. A translation of the editorial published in The Indian Express quoted it as saying: “By projecting Rahul, who has never been even a minister of state, the Congress made it easier for Modi to implement his high-tech strategies. Compared to Modi, the Congress failed in effectively using modern technology.” Meanwhile, in Amethi, Rahul put on his brave face on Wednesday. The Indian Express quoted him as saying, “Main janata ke liye ladunga…Hum sashakta vipaksh ki bhumika nibhayenge.. Jahan janata ki nahi suni gayi, toh aag laga denge. (I will fight for the public… We will play the role of a strong Opposition… If people are not heard, we will start a fire).”