Belated response

October 12, 2017 12:12 am | Updated 12:12 am IST

Rahul Gandhi’s belated realisation and claim about the Congress party having learnt from its crushing defeat in 2014 does not absolve him of ‘political sins’ committed in the form of mega-scams during the UPA’s rule, from 2004 to 2014. They are no small crimes of corruption to be forgotten easily. To try to rise from this rubble that weighs it down is a Herculean task despite the connect Mr. Gandhi has with the people of this country, and in trying to win back the trust his party enjoyed with them in the past. One wonders whether he is aware of the pain of betrayal of trust the public still feels immensely. Can he bring back all the ill-gotten wealth? Superficial acceptance cannot overcome past and grave political misdeeds.

N. Visveswaran,

Chennai

Even after the humiliating defeat in 2014 election, which is Rahul Gandhi’s own admission, he and the Congress party do not seem to have learnt much about what it takes to be a dynamic and responsible Opposition party/leader and to face the challenges put forth by the BJP. The main drawbacks with Mr. Gandhi are his lack of oratory skills and in hitting back at the ruling party, intelligently. Instead he thrives by focussing on frivolous and unimportant issues and inviting derision. While the BJP has the Congress on the backfoot by focussing on the backward state of Amethi, Mr. Gandhi, instead of giving it a suitable and pertinent reply, raises unimportant issues about the RSS. What he should have done was to have detailed the lapses in Yogi Adityanath’s administration in U.P. This is the most appropriate time for Mr. Gandhi and the Congress to focus on the business dealings of senior BJP leaders and their families and highlight wrong-doing.

D. Sethuraman,

Chennai

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