he European tour of Congress president Rahul Gandhi is turning out to be an exercise only to criticise Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ( “BJP ruining institutions: Rahul”, August 27).
This does not augur well for a political leader who aspires to become prime minister one day.
The hunger for power has only clouded Mr. Gandhi’s vision and understanding of the respect that ought to be extended to the head of government.
As a political leader it is strange that he has not focussed on the substantial issues that affect the India diaspora and on how his party would value their contribution. He has also failed to use the opportunity to dwell on his party’s game plan for 2019 and win back the trust of the electorate.
R. Prabhu Raj,
Bengaluru
Whatever the political differences the Congress and the BJP have, Mr. Gandhi, as the Congress president, should not have spoken about Indian politics while abroad. How long will our leaders continue to blame one another? The core issues of the country are being ignored inhibiting the country’s progress.
Mohd. Faheem,
Mumbai
It is strange that the Congress president is trying to say that the party is not responsible for the 1984 Sikh riots even after it has been established beyond reasonable doubt that the violence was triggered by the Congress. Has Mr. Gandhi forgotten about the apology made by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2005 and also Congress chief Sonia Gandhi expressing her regrets?
One fails to understand why senior Congress leaders, including Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, are keen on backing Mr. Gandhi (“Punjab CM backs Rahul’s view on riots”, August 27). The Congress cannot pretend to be lily white.
K.R. Srinivasan,
Secunderabad
The way Mr. Gandhi has tried to exonerate his party in the horrendous anti-Sikh riots of 1984 is ludicrous. One needs to remind him of the Nanavati Commission report. The riots will remain a blot on the Congress. One expects more mature and conscious remarks from a man who heads the grand old party and aspires to become the Prime Minister one day.
Murari Mohan,
Kolkata
The Prime Minister is only getting a taste of his own bitter medicine as an increasingly confident Mr. Gandhi takes him on. It is the Prime Minister who criticised previous regimes when abroad. It was Mr. Modi who in Seoul said: “There was a time when people used to feel that what sin they committed in their past life which resulted in taking birth in India ....” Mr. Gandhi’s criticism is the political statement of an Opposition leader against the policies and performance of the incumbent government in a democracy.
S.K. Choudhury,
Bengaluru
