Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Congress is a party of, by and for the Gandhi family' that was published in Newsband

Congress is a party of, by and for the Gandhi family

Recently, at a session of the All-India Congress Committee, Rahul Gandhi gave a speech. In this event, he gave a signal that he was ready to lead. The Congress vice-president did not name the Aam Aadmi Party or the Bharatiya Janata Party but insinuated that while one practised ad hoc street politics disconnected from due process, the other was driven by the personality cult.

While making the speech Gandhi was at his combative best, no doubt. But the speech was definitely not thoughtful enough. It was just sound and fury.

How can Gandhi be the natural ‘leader’ of a democratic society? If he was a choice by the Congress party workers owing to his performance or leadership qualities then it would be okay. But if just because he belongs to a certain family, Gandhi is chosen as the leader of Congress party or PM candidate, then it poses a lot of questions. Except being the son of Rajiv Gandhi, there is no added quality for Gandhi especially when he is compared with some current Congressmen who obviously possess leadership qualities. When will Indian National Congress show the real democratic principle as it claims?

Neither Rahul Gandhi nor Sonia Gandhi has a genuine programme. They just give the instances of past achievements. The past does not envisage the present days of politics. It just remains as a reference, not a remedy of problem.

How so ever strong the speech by Gandhi is, it just remains mere speech and people cannot be fooled this time.

There is no denying the fact that the party owes its existence as a power to reckon with throughout the length and breadth of the entire country solely to the Gandhi family. Further more, along with Aam Aadmi Party, it is the political entity that can rightly claim to be a bulwark against the dangerous possibility of the take over of the country by communal and sectarian forces. Unfortunately it is this same dependence of the weaker sections of society like the large Muslim minority, the dalits and tribals, by and large, on this party, that makes it a convenient vehicle for corruption.

Rahul Gandhi doesn't offer any constructive ideas except making more laws in over-legislated India where laws are poorly written and made more to complete the exercise rather than change situation on ground.

Rahul Gandhi was proof of acceptance of inaction on his and his party’s part for last 10 years where he watched the drama from the sidelines and intervened sporadically. We neither heard much from him in parliament nor did he speak on any burning issues.

The Congress has not announced any PM candidate before elections and has left the decision to the elected representatives of the people. This is just to show that they respect the constitutional values. But if Congress wins the election and someone other than Rahul Gandhi is chosen as the Prime Minister, then this new PM will just be a puppet in the hands of Gandhi family – the way Manmohan Singh was.