Congress Party’s Intra-party Contradictions – Self Goals
The Congress Party’s strategy of “Divide (Caste Census, Reservation Quota for Muslims, and racial and ethnic identity) to Win the Polls” is only backfiring on the Party’s prospects only. In retrospect, midway through the 2024 elections, the Congress Party is engulfed by intra-party conflict – contradictory statements by leaders and spokesperson – highlighting differences over policy and strategy. Naturally, the BJP is seizing the opportunities to expose intra-party divide over key issues.
The most recent statements are from Sam Pitroda, Senior Overseas Congress Party leader, who sparked a major controversy over “inheritance Tax”. In an exclusive interview with The Statesman, SAM described India as a "... diverse country... where people on East look like Chinese, people on West look like Arab, people on North look like maybe White and people in South look like Africa". In the past, SAM had also commented on 1984 Sikh riots and Pulwama: ‘Hua to Kya Hua”.
Incidentally, SAM PITRODA (Satyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda, was born in Titlagar in Odisha to a Gujarati family. So, his lineage is either like “people on West look like Arab '' or “people on East look like Chinese ''. In reality, his features do not represent either streams – neither the Arab features or the slit-eyes of the East. SAM is an accomplished IT professional, but a political narcissist.
Also, Vijay Wadettiwar, leader of the opposition Maharashtra legislative assembly, claimed that late ATS chief Hemant Karkare was “not killed by terrorists during the 26/11 attack but by a police official close to the RSS". Vijay Wadettiwar called BJP's Ujjwal Nikam an "anti-national" and accused him of hiding the information that then Maharashtra ATS Chief Hemant Karkare wasn't killed by Kasab's bullet during the 26/11 terror attack, but fell to a bullet of a policeman who was affiliated to RSS.
Not to be left out, Shashi Tharoor, twice divorced in real family life, reacted to Vijay Wadettiwar's claim that Hemant Karkare had been murdered by a police official and said that the nation has the right to know what happened.
Furthermore, on 4 May 2024 former Punjab chief minister and Congress Working Committee member Charanjit Singh Channi called the attack by militants in Poonch as “a stunt to make the BJP win, there is no truth in it. Getting people killed and playing politics over their bodies is what the BJP does”. However, Channi made an attempt to retract by stating “that he only criticised the BJP for trying to exploit such attacks for political gains.” Rahul Ghandy called the attack “sad and shameful”.
The latest barb is by Dilip Cherian, a very well known PR consultant, and known as someone close to the Congress party ecosystem, who has stated in an interview “India is just a momentary coalition of unfriendly tribes put together under one flag and we need to recognise that. "India functions best when there is no leadership of any kind. The Kashmiri has probably 2% to do with what a Keralite believes in." It forms the very basis of Left-liberal worldview when it comes to India.
Meanwhile, Priyanka Vadra Ghandy justified Sam Pitroda’s statement by invoking that the Congress Party has inner democracy and everyone is entitled to express his opinions. However, Jairam Ramesh, Chief Spokesperson of the Congress Party, stated on X "The analogies given by Sam Pitroda to India's diversity are extremely wrong and unacceptable. The Indian National Congress completely disassociates itself from these analogies." Tehseen Poonawalla, spokesperson of the Congress Party stated "I am speechless! Let me be blunt: every time Sam Pitroda ji speaks - he damages the Congress!"
As per the latest news, Sam Pitroda has resigned as the Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress on May 8 after his controversial remarks spurred the BJP to label the party "racist" and Kharge has accepted his resignation.
On Vijay Wadettiwar statement, AICC general secretary in charge of Maharashtra Ramesh Chennithala said the party did not endorse the remarks. However, Wadettiwar issued a clarification on his statement that stirred controversy - his allegations were based on the book "Who Killed Karkare" written by retired police officer SM Mushriff. However, Shashi Tharoor, acclaimed as intellectual, has demanded reinvestigation which clearly exposes his dual face.
Who was in power in 2008? The Congress Party! Who was the Home Minister? Mr. P. Chidambaram. When was Kasab Hanged? In 2013! And, there is exhaustive evidence given by David Headley about the entire story. Why did not Shashi Tharoor demand a fair investigation by 2013 at the time of Kasab hanging when the UPA led by Manmohan Singh was in power? Why was he silent then?
In retrospect, due to successive failures of Rahul Ghandy at the polls, the party’s cohesion and stability is in doldrums today. Even a layman knows that Mallikarjuna Kharge is foisted as the President of the Party, mere ‘figure head or puppet or mouth piece” of the “Ghandy” dynasty, to take the blame for the loss in 2024 electoral outcomes.
Ipso facto, there is leadership deterioration of the Congress Party High Command led by Sonia Ghandy, Rahul Ghandy, Priyanka Vadra Ghandy and Kharge. Intra-party dissidence is glaringly obvious. Since 2019, many senior leaders resigned from the party over policy differences. Recent big names include Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Milind Deora, former Union Minister of State for Communications & Information Technology and Shipping, Member of the 15th Lok Sabha, and also President of Mumbai Regional Congress Committee, former Union Minister Suresh Pachouri and other M.P. Congress leaders, Arvind Singh Lovely former Delhi Congress Party President, former Bihar Congress president Anil Sharma, Gourav Vallabh over the issues of caste-based politics, Ram Mandir issue, questioning the Army, religion based reservations, Sanatana Dharma etc.
Undeniably, there are intra-party disagreements over key issues. Party leaders cannot express their views out of fear of falling out of favor of the High Command. Accessibility to the Congress party High Command is also through the coterie of sycophants, which is difficult as on required basis. Meanwhile, local party leaders are desperate to consolidate their vote banks by invoking local issues.
On his X handle, Prime Minister Modi stated “he was absolutely disgusted by the remarks of the senior Congress leader, who is the friend, philosopher and guide of the Congress' Crown Prince. His remarks are racist and in very poor taste".
Naturally, Modi has seized the opportunity to demand a response from Rahul Ghandy, saying that the country "Shehzade, you will have to answer. The country will not tolerate the disrespect of our countrymen on the basis of the color of skin. Modi will definitely not tolerate it."
To sum up, whatever the apologists may attempt to justify their second rung leader’s statements, the reality of the Congress party is simple. Weak leadership of the “Ghandy Dynasty” and its British inherited “Divide and Rule” policy/strategy is bound to end in backfiring and doldrums.
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