After losing badly at the United Nations Security Council’s closed-door meeting, where Pakistan was hoping it could internationalise the Kashmir issue to its advantage, Islamabad was probably left with only one option: to knock at the doors of Rahul Gandhi.
And that’s exactly what it did when its human rights minister Shireen Mazari shot off a letter petitioning the UN regarding Jammu and Kashmir – and mentioned the Congress leader’s name in it.
But the Congress leader disappointed them.
All the brouhaha
Within a few hours of Pakistan’s petition making headlines in India, Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “I disagree with this Govt on many issues. But, let me make this absolutely clear: Kashmir is India’s internal issue & there is no room for Pakistan or any other foreign country to interfere in it.”
He also tweeted: “There is violence in Jammu & Kashmir. There is violence because it is instigated and supported by Pakistan which is known to be the prime supporter of terrorism across the world.”
Yes, the Congress leader did denounce the Narendra Modi government’s action of abrogating Article 370, and condemned the communication lockdown in Jammu and Kashmir. But when Pakistan tried attacking India, Rahul Gandhi did not spend too much time in putting out the correct perspective and setting the record straight. His effort, however, did not receive much attention.
When one puts Rahul Gandhi’s tweets alongside the recent admissions by some Congress leaders on how the opposition should not ‘demonise’ Narendra Modi, a crucial lesson seems to emerge. The BJP too should rethink if demonising Rahul Gandhi is benefiting it.
The BJP must understand that by repeatedly targeting Rahul Gandhi, it is only giving the Congress leader a fresh lease of political life.
Also read: Shashi Tharoor: Congress members must constructively criticise Modi, not go after my tweet
Congress must do its part
Rahul Gandhi faced sharp criticism, and rightly so, for saying something that became a part of Pakistan’s argument to further its position on Kashmir. The BJP and a large section of the social media went after Rahul Gandhi, castigating him for making statements that seemingly gave a handle to Pakistan to show New Delhi in a poor light.
It is beyond doubt that in his somewhat misplaced understanding of the Kashmir issue, Gandhi, as a leader of the Congress, should not have uttered words that could be used by our adversaries and may give them an advantage.
It is nobody’s argument that the opposition, however weak they may be in Parliament, needn’t toe the government’s line on every issue or that they should refrain from criticising the government. But when it comes to national security, the opposition must exercise restraint.
It is important for the Congress party to highlight the tweets put out by Gandhi calling out Pakistan as the perpetrator of terror across the globe and reiterating that Kashmir is India’s internal issue – and supporting the Narendra Modi government’s stand.
There is of course a larger point here – Rahul Gandhi’s current status in Indian politics. He is routinely called out for his lack of leadership qualities and his inability to hold his party together in times of crisis.
One could even argue if his opinions matter.
Also read: Congress slams Pakistan for using Rahul Gandhi’s name in UN petition on Kashmir issue
BJP should pay heed to Modi
There seems to be a general opinion in the Congress that criticising Modi merely for the sake of criticism is counterproductive. Some leaders like Shashi Tharoor have even been asked to explain their stand, with many in the Congress interpreting their remarks as a show of support for Modi and his leadership.
In such circumstances, it is for the BJP to decide if it can avoid falling into the same trap. Demonising Rahul Gandhi, a politician whose words do not seem to carry much weight in his own party, may only end up helping Gandhi in reviving his political career.
Political criticisms within the accepted parameters, without imperilling national security, strategy and integrity, make a democracy robust. Holding a contrary opinion should not invite the charge of being ‘anti-national’.
Prime Minister Modi Friday tweeted that he believes “there must be constant and continuous dialogue between individuals and organisations irrespective of one’s thought process”. “We need not have to agree on everything but there must be enough civility in public life for differing streams to be able to hear each other’s point of view,” he said.
Civility in public life should apply to everyone, equally, be it the ruling or the opposition party. Don’t jeopardise national interest at the altar of political expediency.
The author is former editor of Organiser. Views are personal.
Refreshing and must be appreciated not because he has few good words to say about RG. If parties in India respect each others opinion, we can do wonders.
Oh Common, you can deny us this fun. First the comedian in chief of the congress party makes a dumb statement, which is ofcourse is really funny and what is even funnier when BJP spokespersons and the public at large take it apart. Shri Gandhi is perhaps the only Twit on Twitter!!!
But on a serious note, whether Shri Gandhi is the Congress President or not, anything girbish he utters is still seen as the official congress position! And why because he is a Gandhi and Gandhi = Congress and of course the usual army of Gandhi toadies toe nail suckers put “tadka” on top with their mindless defence. And one need not spell out the advantages to the BJP for that!!!
No one need to demonize RG. He is quite powerful enough to do it himself, with his theatrics, tweets and errant behaviour. For BJP, it can only add a bit of salt and masala to what RG has already done.
It is not difficult to fathom why BJP and its followers are attacking Rahul Gandhi. However inept he may be, RG and his family is the glue that is holding together the decrepit Congress party its death throes. When BJP talks of Congress-mukt India, it is not about eradicating Congress party itself but the idea of India that Congress party once stood for – the idea of a new nation based on liberalism, secularism, pluralism, globalism and democracy. BJP wants to erase from people’s mind the founding philosophy of the Indian Congress and supplant it with their own Hindutva ideology.
Rahul poses no threat to RSS-BJP, a fact that is amply evident to all but he remains the vestige of an ideological legacy that needs to be obliterated.
The ploy is age old; the conquering forces always made the vanquished people believe that they had put their faith in a weak leader, a wrong religion or god, or culturally they were inferior to the conquerors. Throughout history this game has been played out innumerable times, in different parts of the world. So who do the conquerors do? They humiliate and decimate the symbols of the vanquished. This is what British did to us not long ago.
Taking a leaf out of history, RSS-BJP is doing exactly the same: demolish and discredit Rahul, and thereby erase Congress ideology from public mind.
The fact that Congress will implode because it has been hollowed out from within is another story.
With Rahul Gandhi Congress dying a slow death. Without Rahul Gandhi, Congress will disintegrate instantly. Is there a third scenario?
The death knell for Congress was struck many decades ago by none other than RG’s grandmother! RG is here to do the last rites.
The only way Congress can revive itself is to jettison the old shibboleths of obsolete socialism, and find a new ideology based on present realities. It is however seems unlikely that Congress will be able to reinvent itself. Often old legacy proves to be a millstone around the neck when it comes to reinvention. And the Gandhi family seems to be the biggest millstone.
“ The BJP too should rethink if demonising Rahul Gandhi is benefiting it.”
Of course it is benefitting. By repeatedly propping up the dim and fringe-left RG as the face of the Congress BJP is able to provide an easy choice to voters. The BJP would rather RG is the face than an Amarinder Singh.
The opposite isn’t true, i.e. demonising Modi only hurts the opposition as they come off as a bunch whose reason for existence is Modi hate rather than national interest.
Firstly it’s difficult to see how Pakistan lost in the UN, it succeeded in bringing the Kashmiri issue up , after many years of the Kashmir issue being away from the UN.
Secondly the Kashmiri issue has been internationalised, with many foreign newspapers focused on the present and past human rights in Kashmir. Most international media say that Pakistan was successful in the UN.
Our media has always had a blindspot on Kashmir, they have presented a biased view in contrast to the BBC, Washington Post, NYT, The Guardian. The French newspapers Le Monde and Le Figaro. The Spanish newspaper El Paias, the Moscow Times Al Jazeera and finally the influential Chinese People’s Daily.
INDIA HAS LOST THE BATTLE ON WORLD OPINION IN KASHMIR WE HAVE A MEDIA THAT FEEDS AND ACTS LIKE GOVERNMENT PROPAGANDA.
It is best that the Congress sticks to its principles and not compromise, If it tries to be the B team of Hindutva it will lose.
It is not the question of demonising the Demon, the Congress Must differentiate itself from the BJP, Present a different approach, a secular approach to that of the BJP.
Ultra nationalistic parties have always eventually failed in the past, the shine wears off, Nationalism is just a cloak to hide the real problems a country faces. The state of the Indian economy will eventually effect the BJP’s popularity, it will try to increasing rule by dictatorial means.
The Congress should present itself when the time comes as a clear and distinct alternative, And should stop using a copycat strategy which would be fatal.
All the world’s flash point always involves Muslims only. Boris Johnson
Hahaha, I love this Statement, “Congress to stick to its principles”What PRINCIPLES?
Rizwanji, a few firangi newspapers writing negative articles about Bharat will not affect Bharat, not affect investment, not affect how foreign govts deal with us, not affect how international institutions deal with us. The NYT, Washington Post, leMonde, Guardian, Economist etc. have been negative articles for ever. And by the have you noticed the authors of most of these articles? Almost all of them are Indian. The US, France, Russia etc decide their foreign policy based on their interests and not what NYT, LeMonde, etc decide to publish about India.
PS. On the Economist Magazine, none of their predictions on anything has ever come through! The funniest one was when they wrote an extra long piece on great Enron and it’s business model was and guess what, Enron filed for Bankruptcy the next week.
Why we all go gaga when the same western media lavish praise about Modi. Why not just ignore whether they praise or support. This hypocrcy is what show us in bad light. When the samen western media was taking on Dr Singh the members of BJP use to wave it and even demanded his resignation.
India has lost the battle of public opinion!!! Such a high confidence!!. If the mostly left leaning media is taken as a barometer of the public opinion Modi and Trump would have never won.