'Obama living in an earlier era': Udit Raj attempts damage control over Rahul mention

Senior Congress leader Dr. Udit Raj on Friday opined that former US president Barack Obama made a mistake in judging Rahul Gandhi from his short meeting. Maintaining that it was not possible to gauge the personality of any person in 5 to 10 minutes, Raj reckoned that Obama is "living in an earlier era". According to him, it takes years to understand people due to their complexity.

To buttress his point, the former Lok Sabha MP stated that it took years to see through the alleged 'lies' of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, Congress communications in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala refused to comment on Obama's reference to Gandhi in the book 'A Promised Land'. In an indirect reference to the period where ex-US President Richard Nixon made uncharitable remarks about former PM Indira Gandhi, he recalled that the Congress party and the then government continued to work in "national interest" and would follow the same policy now.

Writing on Twitter, Congress' Dr. Udit Raj noted, "Obama formed an opinion about Rahul Gandhi after meeting him for a very short while. Obama is living in an earlier era where it was possible to judge people immediately. Now, we cannot read people for years as they have become complex. For example, it took so many years to understand the lies of PM Modi and it might take more time too."

Read: BJP Leaders React To Obama's 'lacks Aptitude' Barb For Rahul, Call His Remarks 'spot On'

Read: Congress Neta Defends Rahul Gandhi After Obama's Remark, Claims 'he Is Experienced Now'

Obama's remarks on Rahul Gandhi

As per the book review by the New York Times, Obama has opined on Rahul Gandhi stating, "Rahul Gandhi has a nervous, unformed quality about him as if he were a student who’d done the coursework and was eager to impress the teacher but deep down lacked either the aptitude or the passion to master the subject”. The observation about the Wayanad MP comes at a juncture when the leadership crisis in the Congress party has come to the fore. After Rahul Gandhi stepped down as the Congress president post the party's drubbing in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Rae Bareli MP Sonia Gandhi again took charge of the party.

In a letter addressed to Congress president Sonia Gandhi in August, 23 senior party leaders observed that the uncertainly over the leadership and the drift in the party have weakened Congress and demoralized the workers. The letter reportedly mentioned many suggestions such as the need for a full-time leadership available at the national and state headquarters, conducting elections at all levels including the Congress Working Committee and state level, the formation of an Independent Election Authority, and institutional leadership mechanism to guide the party's revival. Despite the high-octane drama at the CWC meeting, it was decided that Sonia Gandhi will continue as the interim president at least until the next AICC session is convened. 

Read: 'Global Respect': Giriraj Singh Takes A Swipe At Rahul Gandhi After Obama's Memoir Mention