New Delhi: The “Left-leaning lieutenants” of the Congress are responsible for much of its poor performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, wrote Rachit Seth, the party’s national media coordinator, in a controversial blog post Tuesday that has now been deleted.
In the seemingly introspective blog post, titled “The ‘Deshdrohi’ tag!”, Seth sought to list out the reasons why the BJP was able to successfully brand the Congress “anti-national”.
“The branding stuck because of Congress’ own inactions and some terrible mistakes,” Seth wrote.
He tweeted the blog post at 3.55 am Tuesday, but appears to have deleted it within hours, fuelling speculation that he may have been told to toe the party line.
As party chief Rahul Gandhi’s resignation saga continued through Tuesday, Seth’s blog was praised by many for its honest-but-bruising stock-taking of the direction the party took in the election campaign.
Seth wrote that he was privy to the “post-Pulwama narrative” in the Congress, saying Gandhi had been advised by the communication department to question the Narendra Modi government’s “inaction” immediately after the 14 February terror attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel.
“From day one, we had suggested that Congress president should question the massive intelligence failure, the absence of air transportation to slain CRPF personnel, and PM Modi’s ‘Jungle Safari’ in Corbett, even as the attack was on.
“But people with more powers around Rahul Gandhi, lethargically vetoed this narrative,” Seth wrote.
Also read: Congress should avoid knee-jerk reactions: Milind Deora on Rahul Gandhi’s offer to resign
‘Left-leaning lieutenants of Congress’
Seth said that, despite Gandhi being “on board with our suggested strategy”, he appeared to dither.
“Surely a man, who forcefully and emphatically spearheaded a national security issue like Doklam and the national interest issue like Rafale, should not have waited, had some influential people not advised him to do so,” he added.
Seth blamed party members who nursed “vested interests and Left leanings” for Gandhi not following the communication department’s suggestions and waiting until about a week later to question the Modi government.
“Since the Left-leaning lieutenants of the party, delayed a direct attack on the Modi govt on the sensitive and core issue of national security, party’s narrative suffered a jolt,” Seth wrote.
Gandhi family loyalist Sam Pitroda was criticised in particular.
After the 26 February Balakot air strikes on the terror camps of Jaish-e-Mohammed, the group responsible for the Pulwama attack, in Pakistan, Pitroda had told news agency ANI that attacks happen “all the time”.
“The attack happened in Mumbai (26/11) also. We could have then reacted and just sent our planes but that is not right approach. According to me that’s not how you deal with the world,” he was quoted as saying.
According to Seth, “Mr Sam Pitroda’s statements later exacerbated the negative perception against us”.
“His opinions on 26/11 and Balakot were completely out of turn and damaged our narrative beyond repair,” he added.
The role of Congress manifesto
Seth did not spare the Congress manifesto either.
“Which political party writes in its manifesto that they would reduce the Army troops in a border sensitive and strategically important, terror prone state like Jammu and Kashmir?” Seth wrote.
The Congress party’s manifesto had promised to “reduce the presence of the Army and CAPFs (central armed police forces) in the Kashmir valley”.
Seth also attacked the party’s poll pitch to dilute the sedition law and the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
“Which political party talks about watering down sedition laws and weakening a law which grants special powers to its Army (AFSPA) in sensitive insurgency prone areas?”
The blog post ended with Seth emphatically noting that the “real Congress” must be saved from the “Left-leaning lobby”.
“The Left-leaning lobby should be thrown out of the Congress. Then only we can save the real congress. These are the same people who took Rahul Gandhi to JNU when tukde-tukde gang labelled was pasted on us (sic),” he added.
While Seth deleted the post from his website amid the widespread appreciation it received, his tweet sharing the blog still reads, “Why should Congress ever cede the Nationalism space?”
According to the blog post, the Congress’ nationalism could not be questioned.
“Nobody can question the commitment of the Congress to Indian nationalism. There is not a single instance in India’s history, pre or post-independence, nor a single place in India where a party worker has not shed his/her blood in protecting the integrity of the nation,” he wrote.
Also read: Harsh criticism of Rahul Gandhi unjustified because Congress slide began in 1996
‘An honest post-mortem’
Seth’s write-up evoked appreciation and applause from journalists and party supporters alike.
“At a time when almost the entire Cong Party is observing an Omertà code of silence, a young Congman chooses to vent his feelings in a blog with rare candour…” tweeted senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai.
At a time when almost the entire Cong Party is observing an Omertà code of silence, a young Congman chooses to vent his feelings in a blog with rare candour.. Worth a read. only an honest post mortem will now revive the grand old party. https://t.co/sWlkLglQqU
— Rajdeep Sardesai (@sardesairajdeep) May 28, 2019
Syed Maqbool, who calls himself an “online” Congress and Rahul Gandhi “campaigner”, hailed the blog post as “dil se likha hua” or “straight from the heart”.
The ‘Deshdrohi’ tag!
Must read "dil se likha hua" article from @rachitseth
These left-wing lobby members destroy Congress narrative just before every election as if they take supari from the Modi to do so.
https://t.co/IyYYDn5hdp
— Syed Maqbool (@maqbool_sm) May 27, 2019
Thank you @rachitseth for putting this in the public domain. This is how we begin the process of reclaiming the political space.. by introspecting and recognizing our mistakes.
— Sachin Tandon (@cugwmui) May 27, 2019
The Congress is synonymous with corruption and being Anti Hindu and minority appeasement it is a fact and no amount of arguments and articles will change that atleast the corruption tag even the most hard core congress supporter won’t contest so why should the Indian public trust congress again ,it is a political force that has caused more harm than good to the nation ,in the eighties when Communist China was opening up we were held back by the license regime to benefit a corrupt few and in 1990s it was due to PV Narashimha Rao and circumstances that opened the economy and we lost a decade from 2004 to 2014 to corruption .This party is a curse to India and must be destroyed
What do you call an Indian who goes and sits in the Chinese embassy when China is threatening war on India thereby weakening the Indian governments position.
A Traitor?
Congress is an ANTI Hindu party and Anti National. No amount of dress up is going to change. My family of 4 and my daughters family of 4 have decided to ditch this Jinnah Congress. Hindus are 80% of India. They also need to survive.
His aides are not left leaning, they are hardcore leftists .. personally I have always been of the opinion that RG will come of age only when he starts making his own decisions and when he stops getting influenced by leftists. He , I guess , needs another 10 years of experience for that.
This is nothing short of a blame game, and part of the binary narrative – if you are not with us you are against us. The Congress has always been left-centrist, and there is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about in that. Unfortunately all across the world there has been a sharp right turn in the name of religion, ethnic chauvinism or ultra nationalism. India could well do without it.
But fatwas favouring COngress is secular. LOL
Narrative of Congress record on Nationalism has been totally exposed by the stupidity of present Cong. Leadership. Congress never was much for Nationalism, but Nationalism served its puroose to milk the defence deals, the milch cow for Congress kickback machine. In this era of active SM, Congress falsehoods are impossible to hide.
Absolutely correct you are.
Ur analysis is wrong, it is soft hindutva mask which congress tried to wear didn’t able to stand infront of Nation in Danger propaganda.
Time and again it has come to light that the political methods that Congress seniors use are so deep rooted in their psychee, no amount drubbing at elections or introspection reports later on can dampen it. I feel dumb headed for the beliefs Congress seniors display time to time. It’s a bad luck for Rahul Gandhi that he has to head a party who refuses to learn from defeats, refuses to understand the expectations of Indian masses, refuses to see a bleak future of Congress youngers and have no shame or regret when their follies are exposed in public. How can even GOD keep such a political party breathing.
This is all part and parcel of leftist ideology. Deal with it or dare to become a true conservative party-god, country and free market capitalism.
Yes. Congress is synonymous with nationalism. Because it fought for independence of the country. But now real freedom fighting outfits are sidelined and those sided with colonisers during the freed struggle are being honoured. This is really ridiculous and trecherous.
very true sir. The author has ignored that section altogether. He should not forget that Mohandas Gandhi wanted to discuss band congress after independence. Nehru would not agree. Rahul Gandhi is not responsible for for his actions. May be he should quit hand over the reigns to an INDIAN
don’t start a ridiculous birther debate.
“Yes. Congress is synonymous with nationalism.”
Correction Congress WAS synonymous with nationalism. That ended after veterans like Mahatma & Patel died. Nationalism died with them.
Congress after that was synonymous with Internationalism .Therefore Recognition of Communist China ,when only limited countries had recognized it. A truly nationalist government would have recognized China only after it recognized Independence of Tibet.
A truly nationalist government would not have allowed Pakistan to keep Azad Kashmir or not accept Balochistan’s request of joining India.
In US earlier republicans were for abolition of slavery and democrats were for it. later on they changed position with Republican for Whites while democrats for Blacks. same thing happened in India. Congress gave up nationalism while RSS, Jan Sangh, BJP seized it..