Published 10:52 IST, August 2nd 2020
'Rahul Gandhi's different; wants to do politics differently' but even Digvijaya has advice
Suggesting that the Congress party would like Rahul Gandhi to be 'more active' in the parliament, Digvijaya Singh advised him to be 'more accessible' to people
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Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Sunday defended Rahul Gandhi's 'way of doing politics', saying that the latter was 'different' from others and that the people needed to allow him to do politics differently. Advising Rahul Gandhi to be 'more active' in Parliament, Digvijaya Singh remarked that he needed to be 'more accessible' to people. Singh also reminded Rahul Gandhi of NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar's advice saying that rallies and yatras were important to connect with the people across the country.
I agree. He is different and wants to do politics differently. We should allow him to do so but then we also would like him to be more active in Parliament and more accessible to people. As advised by Sharad Pawar he should go around India. “Yatras” are important to connect. https://t.co/6fJQbD47ZB
— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) August 2, 2020
Rahul Gandhi & Rafale deal
Digvijaya Singh's advice to the former Congress President to connect with people comes amidst talk of massive infighting within Congress ranks, with Rahul Gandhi's camp recently accusing Manmohan Singh's leadership of UPA 2 as being the reason for the party's humbling in the 2014 and 2019 elections. Rahul Gandhi has had limited success in his recent attacks on the Centre over China, witnessing his arguments on India's foreign policy being demolished by EAM Jaishankar, and then once again attempting to breathe life into his 'Rafale scam' allegations.
Earlier in Parliament, Rahul had questioned why only 26 aircraft were being acquired when 126 were needed. On the pricing of the Rafale jet, he had asked why it was changed from Rs 526 crore each to Rs 1600 crore each and questioned choosing Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence for the joint venture with Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL) over HAL.
These allegations were denied by then-Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, affirming that no government approvals were required for the joint venture between two private companies. The SC in 2019 had also dismissed all review petitions against its December 14, 2018 judgment upholding the 36 Rafale jets' deal, and giving a clean chit to the Modi government.
Gandhi then ran into trouble when he said, "Supreme Court has accepted that 'Chowkidar Chor Hai'" amid the 2019 Lok Sabha election rally, while filing his nomination papers in Amethi. After BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi filed a contempt plea against Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi admitted that he made the statements over the Rafale case verdict in the “heat of political campaigning”. Ultimately, he faced an even bigger defeat as the Congress was decimated in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, with Rahul even losing his Amethi bastion.
10:52 IST, August 2nd 2020