Azad exit note should be seen as guidelines for the future by the Congress
Party veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad’s resignation letter points to burning concerns the Congress party needs to consider seriously
The Indian National Congress party has hit a wall – a strong one at that this time. With party veteran and former Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad deciding to call it quits, it is somewhat the end of the road for a party living in the glory of past history. Ever since the massive defeat it brought unto itself during the 2014 general elections, the party has been reduced to just another weak force looking to regain its past glory. But then, no serious effort has been made by the powers that control it, thereby relegating it to being a non-entity in the current political scenario.
Several veterans have jumped ship since. Senior leaders Kapil Sibal and Ashwani Kumar had already left the party fold. And now, with Ghulam Nabi Azad too deciding to call it a day, the party faces major challenges than ever before. For, the issues listed down by Azad in his long resignation letter to the party chief prove that the grand old party is real trouble.
Azad has been particularly critical of Rahul Gandhi, and has lambasted his ways. Azad has even slammed him for what he called his ‘childish behaviour’ and ‘glaring immaturity’. The veteran has focussed much on the irresponsible ways of Rahul saying that the Gandhi scion has allowed a ‘coterie of inexperienced sycophants’ to run the party!
Azad’s letter of resignation sent to Sonia Gandhi blames her son for the Congress’s defeat in the 2014 national election. He went on to add that the party has been ‘comprehensively destroyed’. The Congress is today at a dead end, and the manner in which Rahul Gandhi and his security guards and personal assistants are running the party, has been pointed out in a scathing criticism by Azad.
Azad blames Rahul for party issues
The 73-year-old former Union minister and veteran of many political battles has also stated that the Congress party has gifted its political space to the BJP and a few regional parties and this has happened only because the leadership in the past eight years permitted a ‘non-serious individual’ to occupy the top post in the party. Azad even reminded Sonia, and the nation, about the way Rahul tore up a government ordnance in the full glare of the media.
The Congress under Sonia Gandhi has nothing to look up to at the moment, or may be, in the near future. Having conceded defeat in 39 out of the 49 Assembly elections held between 2014 – 2022 shows what trouble the party is in. The Congress has its rule in just a couple of states and has settled down as an inconsequential coalition partner in two other.
Rahul Gandhi’s childish ways under fire
The resignation letter proves that Ghulam Nabi Azad isn’t mincing words at least at this point of time. Such is the scathing criticism that has been unleashed by the man who had seen Congress as his soul. And that, should prove to be an eye opener, at least now, for the party which has seen glorious days long ago. Rahul Gandhi’s childish, maverick ways of running a national party is under fire.
All the losses sustained by the grand old political outfit have their root cause in the sad way it is being run. Azad is right, if one looks at the recent past. Rahul has been behaving as just a part time politician leading a party that still hopes, in vain, to rule India again.
Will Sonia Gandhi mend her ways and see that the party is in safe hands, at least from now on? Chances are rare. But if she decides to tutor Rahul, throw his cronies out, and rope in people in a more responsibly, the party might have a chance to stand up on its feet again. Winning all elections again, however, could remain a distant dream.
