Reacting to Rahul Gandhi’s statement, RJD spokesperson Manoj Kumar Jha said, “I find it a bit strange and contradictory.”…reports Asian Lite News
Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s recent remarks that the regional parties can’t fight the BJP politically as they don’t have an ideology has upset several opposition parties.
Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, CPI(M), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Janata Dal (Secular) have questioned Rahul Gandhi’s comment that only the Congress has the ideology “to take on the BJP”.
Rahul in his address at Congress’ ‘Chintan Shivir’ in Udaipur on Sunday had claimed that regional parties cannot fight the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as they lack ideology, adding that only the Congress can fight the BJP.
Reacting to Rahul Gandhi’s statement, RJD spokesperson Manoj Kumar Jha said, “I find it a bit strange and contradictory.”
“If he (Rahul Gandhi) looks at the figures, he will withdraw his statement. The Congress manifesto says that the party is committed to establish dialogue with like-minded parties to protect the spirit of nationalism and democracy,” Jha added.
The RJD spokesperson said that had Rahul Gandhi known about the outcome of the electoral battle against the BJP, he would have realised the ideological and electoral commitment made by the regional parties, which the Congress leader claimed did not have the potential to fight the BJP.
On the other hand, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said at a party convention in Kochi, “Compared to the past, today the Congress has become weaker and many in the BJP and RSS do not see the Congress as a big threat because its leaders can leave the party to join the BJP at any point of time.”
Former Karnataka Chief Minister and state’s regional party JD-S’ second-in-command H.D. Kumaraswamy on Monday came down heavily on the former Congress president, and said Rahul Gandhi should explain and make regional parties understand what he meant by the “ideological commitment”.
Kumaraswamy has ironically stated that, does he mean to say that ideological commitment is, bringing down I.K. Gujral government at the Centre in the pretext of alleged links between the DMK party and the LTTE in connection with the assassination of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and later, forging ties with the same DMK party from Tamil Nadu.
“Is it an ideological commitment to enjoy the fruits of power for 10 years during UPA government 1 and 2, with the DMK party under the Prime Ministership of Dr Manmohan Singh?” Kumaraswamy asked.
He further said Rahul Gandhi while claiming that only Congress can defeat BJP, should not forget that his party was in power for 10 years at the mercy and might of regional parties.
Kumaraswamy asked: “Is it an ideological commitment to join hands with unethical Operation Lotus in Karnataka underhand after coming to the doorsteps for formation of the government? Is it an ideological commitment to swallow the allies?
He was referring to the collapse of the JD-S and Congress alliance in the state in 2019.
Kumaraswamy further stated that Rahul Gandhi must understand for his benefit that Congress in Karnataka has reached the ‘coma stage’.
“The Congress which is under phobia of regional parties, has lost its presence in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha and other states,” he said.