Mumbai: Asserting Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have a big challenge before them of reviving their party, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has said the siblings should take inspiration from Lokmanya Tilak, who had transformed the grand old party into a weapon of political revolution.
Raut described Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as different personalities whose styles of functioning were also very different, but said there was an unanimity between them.
“Both have a big challenge of reviving the Congress,” said Raut, who met the two Congress leaders last week in New Delhi.
“If you expect a quick stand from her (Priyanka Gandhi) in any political discussion...she says she will have to discuss with her brother,” he added in his weekly column ‘Rohkthok’ in Shiv Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.
The Shiv Sena leader said that the discussions between him and Priyanka Gandhi were related to various issues, including those pertaining to the upcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and Goa as well as national politics.
The Rajya Sabha MP said Rahul Gandhi during their meeting told him the system of creating and building leaders has stopped in the Congress and that the latter never disrespected senior party leaders.
Raut, the executive editor of ‘Saamana’, quoted Rahul Gandhi as saying that he had requested senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad to take charge of the Congress’ Jammu and Kashmir unit after his Rajya Sabha term expired, but the latter refused.
“He can become the chief minister again after elections. But, he refused saying the Congress didn't exist there. Azad ji has been the chief minister there and he thinks the Congress doesn't exist there,” he said quoting Rahul Gandhi.
Raut mentioned that when he pointed out during the conversation that Azad was holding public meetings in Kashmir, Gandhi said “yes...the reasons behind that could be different”, PTI reported.
Raut said Rahul Gandhi said the party had given a lot to its elder leaders and they are taking a different stand when the party needs them.
“What can I do?” Raut said attributing the comments to the former Congress president.
Raut, whose party shares power with the Congress and NCP in Maharashtra, further said Priyanka Gandhi said her family was also facing a similar situation when he raised the issue of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders in the state being targeted using central agencies.
The Shiv Sena leader quoted Priyanka Gandhi as saying that her husband got “69 notices from the Income Tax (department) in one day” when she went to Lakhimpur Kheri (after the alleged killing of some farmers a few months back).
The Rajya Sabha MP added that Priyanka Gandhi told him she will not backtrack and continue to fight.
Raut also said Rahul Gandhi told him that the Congress’ graph declined during Captain Amarinder Singh’s tenure as the Punjab chief minister.
He added that Rahul Gandhi told him that Singh had got “only six per cent votes” as the CM, while those who were not even in the chief ministerial race got more votes than him during a poll.
Quoting the former Congress president, the Shiv Sena leader said Singh was told to implement the promises made to the people, but the response was cold.
“He (Singh) was told to do something or else the party will have to take action. The party seniors stood by Singh and told me not to take a stern action against him. If Singh wasn't changed as the CM, the party would have been finished in Punjab,” he added quoting Rahul Gandhi.
The Shiv Sena leader further said the former Congress president also told him that he will not react even if West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticizes him or his party.