Rahul Gandhi should take charge of party now: Goa Congress chief Shantaram Naik

Panaji: Goa Congress chief Shantaram Naik on Thursday said time was now ripe for Rahul Gandhi to take on the mantle of the party president as he is the “leader of masses”. [caption id=“attachment_4034033” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. PTI[/caption] “Rahul Gandhi is a man of masses. The BJP, whose ancestors were with the British during pre-Independence era, has no right to attack Gandhi. I therefore appeal that he should take over the presidentship of the party,” Naik told a press conference. He said calling Gandhi by names like “pappu’ or “shehzada” does not suit prime minister Narendra Modi considering his position. Naik said the BJP has appointed 20 IT professionals to attack Gandhi on social media, as the saffron party is “afraid” of him. He alleged that Modi was marketing “falsehood and lies” on the international platforms. “During his most of the visits in foreign countries, Modi had denigrated the country and criticised Congress party, UPA government and their leaders most shamelessly. “Modi is good at marketing his products and his prime product is falsehood and lies, and not any achievements of his government or programmes and policies of the BJP,” Naik alleged. During his address at the University of California in Berkley recently, Gandhi had said he was prepared to lead the Congress.