New Delhi: Backing Congress president Sonia Gandhi amid suggestions from a section of the party that Rahul Gandhi should be made the party chief and she should take on a mentor’s role, senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily said on Thursday that Sonia should not “retire” at this time and “should be as active as before”.
“We have some leaders who think that by propping up somebody they get to acquire power. That is a very bad trend in the Congress. There is always a hunger to place themselves around the leadership, acquiring power around the leaders. That is where the Congress leadership has to act — against those people who use the platform of leadership for their own interests,” said Moily.
“Our leaders should stop working for their own agenda,” he said, but did not take names. “If Rahul has to become the president, he will. I don’t think the Congress president should retire at this time. She should be as active as before. That will contribute to the party. That doesn’t mean she will be taking away some power from Rahul,” he said.
Moily recalled the ascension of Sanjay Gandhi in the late 1970s. A leader has to evolve, Rajiv Gandhi evolved as a leader, he said. “I do not appreciate what happened when Sanjay Gandhi and Indiraji were there. Some people with vested interests propped him up and he took a vigorous stand. As a result, the party suffered,” he said.
Stating that both Sonia and Rahul should lead the party, he said: “They are complimentary. They cannot be working on contradictory and parallel lines…The Congress is going through a difficult period… We want the inspirational leadership of Sonia and the youthful leadership of Rahul. You cannot sideline any of them.”
On Wednesday, senior leader Digvijaya Singh claimed that Rahul was not getting a “free hand” to take decisions. Former union minister Kamal Nath said dual centres of power was a source of confusion and the party “falls between two stools”.
Moily rejected both arguments Thursday. “A lot of liberty has been given to Rahul in terms of reorganising the party, selection of candidates and everything. I don’t think he was curtailed at any point of time. We respect Sonia, but that does not mean we don’t respect Rahul. Both are our leaders. We should not give the impression that she should become a mentor and he should work,” said Moily.
He said reports of confusion due to dual sources of power were “not correct”. “The Congress president practises the highest norms of democratic principles… She never wanted to have power, although she had the opportunity. She did not become Prime Minister. She gave full liberty to the Prime Minister,” he said.
Asked for his view on the demands that Priyanka Vadra should enter politics, he said: “If Priyanka has to come, she is welcome. Let her also come. The three of them taking the leadership, that will strengthen the party. But not as against one another.
