The controversy in the Congress Party regarding a letter written to Sonia Gandhi shows no sign of drawing to a close. A Congress district committee in Uttar Pradesh has sided with the national leadership, demanding action against all the leaders who wrote the letter and expelling former Union Minister Jitin Prasada from the party. Kapil Sibal, who was at the forefront of writing a letter, took to Twitter. In his tweet Kapil Sibal demanded a “surgical strike” against the BJP instead of targeting party leaders.
These leaders may not have thought that they would be crucified when they signed a letter to the leadership with the intent of strengthening the dying party. Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kapil Sibal and Shashi Tharoor are not distant from the Nehru family either. The letter was discussed at an informal meeting held at Tharoor’s house. The meeting was attended by senior leaders, including P. Chidambaram. Such an open discussion would not have taken place had it been intended as a rebellion. But now the 23 leaders in the party are being treated as dissidents in the name of the letter.
Ahmed Patel, a follower and caretaker of the Nehru family, took a strong stand against the letter. During the discussion on the letter, Ahmed Patel said that the Congress was the largest democratic party in the country. If that was the case how would Patel explain the domination of a family in the leadership of the party? How can a system without proper organisational structure or discipline be described as a transparent and democratic party?
It is convenient for most Congress leaders not to ask such questions as their survival depends on the Nehru family’s blessings. Beyond that, how many leaders are there in the party who sincerely want the party’s return to its days of glory? The biggest weakness of the Indian National Congress is that it includes a number of political leaders who are surviving and moving up solely on the agenda of progress for themselves and their cronies. It is this cronyism that has brought the Congress to its knees today. If a leader like Narendra Modi can rise through the BJP to become the Prime Minister, a Congress worker or leader is not even allowed to dream about becoming a Prime Minister let alone express a desire in the party as that coveted position is reserved for the members of a single family or one that has its confidence.
Those leaders who had beaten their own path in the party had to later face the wrath of the family. Narasimha Rao, who refused to toe Sonia Gandhi’s line as Prime Minister, had only misfortunes after stepping down. The Nehru family acted with such hatred that even his mortal remains were not given due respect by the party leadership.
Today, leaders like Shashi Tharoor are trying to think and act differently while maintaining all commitment to the Nehru family. It is quite unfortunate that party leaders fail to recognise the development. Even if the Nehru family tolerates such moves, it is strange that the dependent leaders are leading the battle to subdue the ‘rebels’ with greater devotion than the king.
The behaviour of a crowd can never be predicted or defined. But it is possible for a party or movement with ideological determination to reinvent itself. Today, the Congress Party is in a state of total disarray. Achieving ideological strength is the key to turning it into a solid movement against a communal party ruling this once great country. When a party with the sole aim of a Congress-free India rules the country, the Congress must define itself as beacon for its defence and survival.
The Congress can only return to power if it axes the sort of cronyism and servitude to Gandhi family and politics of the dependents. Hope the party too won’t have to face a situation such as that of Rahul Gandhi who quit as president and took refuge under his mother’s wings.
