On Rahul Gandhi’s interview

Ahmedabad, 28 January 2014

Presented here is the full interview of Rahul Gandhi – Congress party’s undeclared Prime Ministerial candidate for year 2014 Lok Sabha general elections.

Something about the interview:
-Rahul Gandhi doesn’t want to discuss Modi and wants to ignore him.
-When pressed further, Rahul speaks about Modi, but only in reference to Gujarat riots.
-Rahul has some fixed dialogue and in reply to any question, he wants to speak his own well-prepared dialogues only.
-They include: National corridor, making India a manufacturing hub, change the system, power to people, RTI, pending bills in parliament, empowering women etc.
-Newspapers including some Gujarat newspapers have reported Rahul’s interview in rosy style, but watching full interview in video is worth to know get actual idea.
-At some point Rahul gains sympathy due to his too poor position against Arnab’s tough questioning. But this is not a kind of sympathy that may convince people to vote for him. This sympathy is kind of one that you may feel when you watch a weak fresh young man in ring with someone like MiKe Tyson.
-Neutral voters who watched this interview will not vote for Rahul.
-Voters who don’t know English or Times Now, or those who haven’t seen full interview have read its edited coverage in print today morning which is at the most places quite sympathetic ro Rahul. Such voters will get some idea on what this man thinks/says on some issues that are not covered in his addresses.
-No political discussion ends without discussing Narendra Modi and Gujarat. Modi and Gujarat continue to be focal point of Indian politics.More they are discussed, more people take interest in them and try to find the truth. Once they know the truth, they start favoring Narendra Modi and Gujarat.

On Facebook:
After reaching home..
RaGa:Mom,the questions got changed
Sonia:Then how did U fare?
RaGa:Chill Mom, I didn’t change my answers . .

Subramanian Swamy’s remark on his Facebook page

Wherever he goes, his words of wisdom bring people closer to BJP and its allies.
His charisma and his fiery speech has made even most devoted Congress supporters confess that they must now root out Congress from this country.

That is what Gandhi ji wanted and he will make that wish of Gandhiji come true. Left to him, Congress will be torn apart in days to come.

Such is the fear of getting exposed that Congress has tried their best not to let TV channels interview him… that is, until yesterday.

He is our star campaigner, please welcome….

On twitter

Harsha Bhogle: There are questions on this Rahul Gandhi interview and there are answers but i am searching for a connection.

“Today Arnab will be arrested for child Molestation” (Manish Mall)

“The number of times Rahul Gandhi has uttered women empowerment exceeds the number of women in Amethi” (Scocthguru)

“Watching the Best Comedy show of all times” (Hanish Chanda)

Maybe multiple choice questions, 4 options for each question-KBC-style, would’ve made things easier for RaGa #RahulSpeaksToArnab
– Suman Sharma (@SumanSharma) January 29, 2014

On Blog

An Incoherent Mind

Websites

http://rahulgandhiachievements.com/

http://engagedino.com/askrg

Arun Jaitleys’ take:

Arnab Goswami’s interview with Rahul Gandhi was a lesson for the interviewer. There are advantages in letting the guest speak. By speaking the guest may even expose his own inadequacies.

After watching the interview and reading its transcript, the question that crossed my mind was “ What has Rahul Gandhi to offer to this country?” or “Is he too confused to get into the specifics and therefore goes into the generalities. “

I deal with some of the comments made in the interview.

Why is there no Prime Ministerial candidate of the Congress

The answer was clearly unconvincing. We all know that the MPs of the ruling party alone elect a leader, who is the Prime Minister. We equally know that projecting shadow Prime Ministers is neither unconstitutional nor extra-constitutional. It happens all over the world.

On changing the system and empowerment of people

We are a parliamentary democracy. That is the system best suited for India. Which is the alternative system that Rahul Gandhi has in mind. He says he believes in democracy, in opening up the system, in RTI and giving power to the people. These are his differences with Narendra Modi. I doubt very much if these are seriously areas of difference. Everybody in Indian politics has to believe in democracy, openness and in empowering the people. Why should he give himself a self-certification that he believes in RTI and empowerment. The fact that candidates are decided by a few people may be happening in the Congress Party. In the BJP the block units and district units recommend candidates to the State units. The State Units bring them to the Central Election Committee. It is only after extensive consultation that the candidates are decided. Even for the Prime Ministerial candidate we have gone through an informal process of galaxy of leaders being presented before the party and the people and the most suitable one is finally declared. The de facto Prime Ministerial candidate of the Congress Party is decided on the basis of the family he belongs to. If Rahul Gandhi was a member of any other political party he would still be struggling to become a party office bearer. He needs to speak about the Congress Party needing a change and not the whole system.

On making India a manufacturing hub and its comparison with China

What has the UPA done in the last 10 years in this regard. China’s core competence is low cost manufacturing. Consumers prefer to buy goods which are cheaper. To make the manufacturing sector in India competitive, the manufacturing sector needed to be incentivized in terms of a modest interest rate regime, a world class infrastructure, competitive cost of utilities particularly power, trade facilitation, a globally competitive taxation regime, quick decision making and labour regime flexibility. Even though the last of these is politically more challenging, has the UPA government even moved an inch with regard to the other reforms required. The answer is a clear ‘No’.

Comparison between 1984 riots and the 2002 riots in Gujarat

In 1984 a slogan “Khoon ka Badla Khoon” started in the afternoon of 31st October 1984 at the AIIMS where Mrs.Gandhi’s body lay. Congress Leaders were seen leading the mobs. Sikhs were massacred at thousands of places. No where did the police fire a single bullet to disperse mobs. Cases were not investigated. A Commission of Inquiry was constituted which came with a sham report. The Judge heading the Commission was subsequently made a Congress Party’s Member of the Rajya Sabha. Justice evades the victims even now.

In Gujarat thousands of people were arrested. The badly over-powered police fired at several places. Almost 300 rioters were killed in police firing. Thousands of prosecutions were filed. Hundreds of people have been sentenced. The Chief Minister of the State Government personally went through several inquiries including the Supreme Court constituted SIT and no evidence was found against him.

Where did Rahul Gandhi get this idea that in 1984 there was no participation of the State?

On Corruption

The Congress Party has tied up with a convicted leader in Bihar. Without Lalu Prasad Yadav there is no RJD. Rahul Gandhi has looked the other way when it comes to allegations against Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Shri Vir Bhadra Singh. He pays lip sympathy to probity when former CM of Maharashtra Ashok Chavan is bailed out. He chooses to keep quiet on the 2G spectrum allocation and the coal blocks allocation. He believes that some legislations will resolve the menace of corruption.

The most startling statement in the interview

“I am absolutely against the concept of dynasty, anybody who knows me knows that and understands that”- Rahul Gandhi says in the interview. Surely Mr. Gandhi you don’t expect India to believe you on that.

Shaktisinh Gohil reacts to Jaitley’s piece

Sharply reacting to the blog written by BJP leader Arun Jaitley on the interview of Rahul Gandhi, Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil said that a man speaking from a pure heart is better for society than the person shouting lies.

Bold man is not the one who evades questions, responds with arrogance or walks away in the midst of an interview, but the one who responds to all questions with simplicity, straightforwardness and gentleness.

2002 riots of Gujarat cannot be compared with 1984 Sikh riots or any other riots because 2002 riots were inspired by government. On the murder of Indira Gandhi, riots broke out instantly. Rajiv Gandhi moved round streets in the disturbed area to pacify people even as his mother’s dead body was lying in the house. While in the case of Gujarat riots Chief Minister did nothing to restore peace or wipe out tears of affected persons.

Nothing happened for full three days after the Godhra incident. During these three days Chief Minister, BJP and RSS spread venom and had a well organized conspiracy which led to large scale riots. Collector had decided to have post mortem of dead bodies and to hand them over to the relatives of the dead.

However, Chief Minister turned down the decision of the Collector and decided that all dead bodies be brought to Ahmedabad and taken to Sola Hospital. Some officers were of the view that the show of dead bodies would cause tension, but it was ignored. And dead bodies were brought to the hospital and handed over to the Vishva Hindu Parishad instead of relatives of the persons who had died. This is in the report of the SIT set up by the Supreme Court.

Assembly session was on in those days. CM brought a resolution on the issue and the language he used was quite provocative. Police officers who took action to control the situation were sidelined on the recommendations of VHP, RSS and BJP and police officers who played role of spectator were posted in troubled areas.

One of such case was in Bhavnagar where DSP Rahul Sharma saved lives of 382 children of a Madrassa. Though, Rahul Sharma was posted only seven days before, he was shunted out. There was no reason for such an action.

While no attempt has been made to protect or promote those who were involved in Sikh riots, in Gujarat those who were named in complaint were promoted. For instance, Mayaben Kodnani was made a minister. By this CM showed his communal mindset and his agenda. CM took out Gujarat Gaurav Yatra in which he made highly provocative and divisive speeches. Mr. Jaitley should go through the CDs of these speeches.

After displeasure of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and observation of the Supreme Court “If you can’t protect your people, quit the post”, Chief Minister arranged to mellow disturbances which were created by him and started a new phase of fake encounters, which has come to the notice of all.

The role of the chairman of SC appointed SIT was doubtful from the beginning as he included police officers in his team who were facing charges of abetting riots. It was an attempt to fool the Supreme Court. The report of the SIT was not accepted by the SC which found the facts and conclusions contrary and it appointed Raju Ramchandran as Amicus Curiae. In his report, Raju Ramchandran was of view that charge sheet could be filed against CM and other accused and it required further investigations. This report was accepted by the SC and it sent this report and SIT report to the trial court.

SC has directed that Gujarat cases be tried outside Gujarat because there is no atmosphere of trust and credibility in Gujarat. In a situation when there is a judgment of trial court which has yet to be cleared by High Court and Supreme Court and Amicus Curiae of Supreme Court hold Gujarat Chief Minister responsible for riots, saying of Arun Jaitley that the Court had given him clean chit was to give a criminal mind client an argument without any base.

If the judgment of the trial court is final then why Babubhai Bokhiria who has been convicted is continuing as Minister? In this case, BJP says that matter is in appeal. These are dual standards. Similar is the case of another minister Purshottam Solanki who has been charged with a fraud of Rs 420 crore as the Supreme Court rejected his petition. He is still continuing as Minister. Number two Minister Anandiben Patel has been pulled up by Supreme Court in yet another case. The court passed severe strictures against her in a fraudulent land deal. She is very much Revenue Minister.

Much after the 1984 riots when everything had cooled down, Rajiv Gandhi had said that it was like tremors on falling of a huge tree. But here, immediately after the Godhra incident Chief Minister had said every action has reaction and people should be allowed to vent their anger and thus provoked the situation. And thus the pacifying words of Rajiv Gandhi can never be compared with provocative speeches of Modi.