New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said Monday that colleague Rahul Gandhi’s observation that party men go into “depression” did not apply to him.
“It could be that those I attack go into depression, but not me,” Gehlot said in a deadpan manner Monday.
At the Congress’ brainstorming session that ended Sunday in Udaipur, Rahul Gandhi had said that “senior leaders and workers sometimes go into depression”.
He said this after stating that the party’s connection with the people has broken down. Gandhi then added: “We have to revive this connection. This will not happen through shortcuts, it requires hard work… Sometimes our senior leaders and workers go into depression. It’s normal because this is not an easy fight. This fight cannot be fought by a regional party because this is a fight of ideology.”
Gehlot, the host chief minister of this ‘Chintan Shivir, disagreed with that comment. When asked if he ever felt depressed at the party’s poor performance, Gehlot said: “I deal with situations strongly. I speak outspokenly, on the basis of truth.”
The senior party man added: “I speak the truth about the situation in the country, why we are worried, who is responsible… I keep attacking. It could be that those I attack go into depression. But never me.”
“I serve in politics with full confidence. And when you consider ‘gareeb’ (the poor) as Ganesh (God), then half the problem is solved. There is no tension,” he said.
The Congress’ three-day ‘Chintan Shivir’ wound up Sunday, in which the party announced much-awaited organisational changes and resolved to reconnect with the masses.
To reinforce this connection with the people, the party will hold two mass agitations over the next few months. It also fashioned a new slogan for these yatras – Bharat Jodo – drawing inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi’s famous ‘Bharat Chodo’ slogan.
Also read: ‘Bharat Jodo’ plans, focus on public connect: Targets for Congress as ‘Chintan Shivir’ ends