The Enforcement Directorate’s grilling of Rahul Gandhi seems to have galvanized an otherwise somnolent Congress, with not only the rank and file of the party but even its senior leaders hitting the streets in protest. But this also proves that it takes the perceived humiliation of its top leaders to rouse India’s grand old party out of its slumber.
Had the Enforcement Directorate not summoned and quizzed the MP from Wayanad in The National Herald money laundering case, the party would never have seen this kind of mobilization which have gladdened the hearts of Congress loyalists. The mobilization is a sign that Congress still has the ability to rise and challenge its perceived political enemies. But the fact that this happens only when Gandhis are in trouble exposes not only the limitations of Congress leadership but also the culture of sycophancy that has been the bane of the party.
Considering that among the protesting Congress leaders were big guns like Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Congress parliamentary party leaders in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the question that naturally comes to mind is whether the ED notice to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi an event of supreme importance for the party, one that merits a nationwide mobilization of cadres and leaders.
The obvious answer should be “no”, for much more important events have been taking place in the country and Congress has failed to mount the same kind of response over these developments. Take, for example, the alleged unsavoury comments of suspended BJP national spokesperson Nupur Sharma about Prophet Mohammad. Considering that Congress claims to be the sole custodian of the interests of minorities, including Muslims and Christians, the party should have organized nationwide protests over Sharma’s remarks that have evoked angry reactions even from some Muslim countries.
But Congress’s response on the issue was rather muted compared to how it has reacted to ED’s questioning of Rahul Gandhi. In fact, the BJP leadership should be praised for its prompt response to Nupur Sharma episode even if it was – as some experts insist – aimed at appeasing the leaders of some powerful Muslim nations.
The obvious implication is that the Gandhis are special and the Congress party wakes up only when their interests are harmed or they land in trouble. The Gandhi clan, too, seems to be aware of its clout which is borne out of a sense of entitlement that is not in the larger interest of the party. This, in fact, is a sign of the feudal culture that the Gandhis, wittingly or unwittingly, have been promoting in the party. The grand old party must get rid of this culture if it is really serious about making a comeback.
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