Ghulam Nabi Azad, who stop the Congress final week with a trenchant critique of Rahul Gandhi’s “infantile behaviour and immaturity”, stated right this moment that he’s a “good man” however has no aptitude for politics.
The veteran chief additionally slammed what he known as “Rahul Gandhi’s coverage of attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi left, proper and centre.”
Mr Azad, 73, additionally dominated out becoming a member of the BJP, confirming reviews that he desires to launch his personal celebration in Jammu and Kashmir.
In an unique interview with NDTV, Mr Azad stated the Congress Working Committee (CWC) – the celebration’s highly effective decision-making physique – had turn out to be “meaningless” right this moment and the consultative course of that thrived underneath Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi had been demolished.
“Earlier there have been solely CWC members. Within the final 10 years, there have been 25 CWC members and 50 particular invitees. Sonia Gandhi, allow us to be honest, between 1998 and 2004, was completely consulting senior leaders. She was relying on them, accepting suggestions…However after Rahul Gandhi got here, from 2004, Mrs Gandhi began relying extra on Rahul Gandhi. He had no aptitude of doing that. She wished everyone to coordinate with Rahul Gandhi,” Mr Azad stated.
In his five-page resignation letter to Sonia Gandhi, Mr Azad blamed Rahul Gandhi for the Congress’s defeat within the 2014 nationwide election – a turning level for the celebration that has been struggling to win elections since.
Chatting with NDTV, he stated he had, after consultations, really helpful an organisational plan forward of the 2014 election.
However after he took over, Rahul Gandhi “did not pay any heed” to a number of reminders concerning the plan, he stated. “So no programme was carried out. Then after 2014 additionally I reminded him a lot of instances, now for subsequent elections. Until right this moment is now 9 years these suggestions are laying within the retailer of AICC (All India Congress Committee). So, they don’t seem to be making any effort, they don’t seem to be placing any effort to enhance the situations of the Congress.”
Mr Azad shared what he believes is a key motive for the breach between the Congress’s outdated guard and Rahul Gandhi – his “Chowkidar Chor Hai (the gatekeeper is the thief)” slogan within the 2019 election, focusing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
No senior chief backed the marketing campaign, Mr Azad stated, revealing that Rahul Gandhi had requested for a present of arms at a celebration assembly on who supported his slogan and lots of veterans had proven their disapproval.
“Manmohan Singh, AK Antony, P Chidambaram and I have been there,” he stated.
“We bought our political schooling underneath Indira Gandhi. Whereas I used to be junior minister, she known as ML Fotedar and me and stated we must always maintain assembly Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Our schooling was that we must always respect our elders and provides equal respect to opposition leaders. We weren’t informed to assault senior leaders? His coverage is to assault Modi proper, left and centre. We will not go private like this? Is that this the language senior cupboard ministers ought to use?”
Mr Azad insisted that he held no private grudges in opposition to Rahul Gandhi.
“Personally, I’ve no grudge. He’s a pleasant man, gentleman. He has at all times been respectful to me. However as a politician he does not have the aptitude…He does not have the aptitude for onerous work – not like his father, grandmother and uncle.” he stated.
