Even as the Congress led the Opposition charge against the government’s attempt to dilute the UPA’s showpiece land law of 2013 on Tuesday, it struggled to justify its architect’s absence from Parliament.
The party has long claimed that vice-president Rahul Gandhi was the prime mover behind the 2013 land law, which came out of his extended engagement with farmers and tribals. The Congress’s official stance on Tuesday remained that his leave of absence at this crucial juncture — when the NDA’s alternative legislation is being opposed inside and outside Parliament — would only benefit the party organisation in the long run. Leaders, however, spoke in different voices.
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh found fault with the timing of Mr. Gandhi’s decision. “If Rahul wants to reflect on what went wrong why criticise him? Everyone wants some peace to reflect. Only timing could have been better,” Mr. Singh tweeted on Tuesday morning.
Emerging from a meeting with party leaders in Parliament House in the morning, Congress president Sonia Gandhi declined comment on reports that Mr. Gandhi was unhappy about the management of the party.
“We have quite clearly explained the situation. Do not try to find various meanings, possibilities in it and resort to speculation,” party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said. He added that the party vice-president has gone on two weeks’ leave but refused to elaborate.
Asked about Mr. Singh’s tweet, he said: “I have not seen his statement. That could be his opinion.”
An MP close to the family said: “He will come back. You are either in control or you are not. There is no such thing as partial control.” The party leader opined that Mr. Gandhi should be allowed to recast the Congress organisation.
The Congress said Mr. Gandhi would not attend the party’s sit-in at Jantar Mantar against the NDA’s land ordinance. A party general secretary said the Congress would have to work hard to make the Wednesday protest at Jantar Mantar a success to silence critics. “We will all be there,” he said.
A Rajya Sabha MP however quipped: “We can either be in Parliament or in a street protest.”
