Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Dec 15: The former Congress president Rahul Gandhi did some plain and tough talking on Thursday sending a stern message to his partymen not to live in the past but think about the present and what they can contribute for the people of the country.
In an unambiguous message he asked the party workers and supporters, “No more sycophancy or resting on past laurels of the contributions made by the Congress leaders of yesteryears. We should focus on what we are going to do. It is better to think about what we are doing for the people,” Mr Gandhi, whose Bharat Jodo Yatra is currently passing through Rajasthan, said.
He issued the tough message after the Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra compared him with Mahatma Gandhi. Taking strong exception to the comparison, Rahul Gandhi said, “This is totally wrong. We are not in the same league and there should be no comparison. He was a great man. He devoted his life to fighting for the country’s freedom, stayed in jail for 10-12 years. Nobody can fill his shoes and my name should not be taken along with his,” said the 52-year-old.
Then came the “tough” message. “What Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi did, they became martyrs, they did well. But the Congress should not dwell on it at every meeting. Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, they did all they could. They have done their share. We should focus on what we are going to do. It is better to think about what we are doing for the people,” Mr Gandhi said.
The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which is currently in Rajasthan, has been joined by prominent leaders, activists, technocrats, and key figures from the entertainment industry and the civil society.
He also slammed the BJP government for ‘wrong’ GST, demonetisation and other issues and said, “Half of India’s wealth is concentrated in the hands of 100 people. And for these 100 people, the country is being run. Out of these 100 people, there are 4 to 5 who can be called the ‘maharajas’ as every institution works for them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi works for them,” he said.
