But now with Sharad Pawar and Ghulam Nabi Azad talking out, are the tables being turned on Rahul Gandhi?
Former Congress veteran Azad, who give up the celebration final yr after blaming Rahul Gandhi for lack of management abilities, spilled the beans on him yesterday in an interview.
“The total household has associations with businessmen, together with him (Rahul). I can give 10 examples of the place he would go, even outdoors the nation, to meet people who find themselves undesirable businessmen,” stated Azad in an interview to Malayalam information channel Asianet News. Azad was replying to Rahul’s tweet by which he had accused Azad of getting ties with Gautam Adani.
Former J&Ok CM and ex-Union minister Azad had severed his five-decade affiliation with Congress in August final yr and floated his personal celebration, Democratic Progressive Azad Party.
In a tweet on Saturday, Rahul had linked with Adani 4 ex-Congress leaders who are actually within the BJP, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiran Reddy, Himanta Biswa Sarma and Anil Antony, together with Azad.Azad’s reply to Rahul is anticipated to put Rahul on again foot because the BJP can now use Azad’s criticism of Rahul to quiz him on his ties with numerous businesspersons overseas, particularly when Rahul is understood for spending appreciable time overseas.Azad’s hitting again at Rahul matches into what appears to be the BJP’s bigger plan to discredit Rahul who’s adamant on a probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into the Hindenburg concern, not glad by a Supreme Court-ordered probe.
Just earlier than Azad questioned Rahul, opposition stalwart Sharad Pawar had ticked off Rahul by defending Adani. Pawar additionally stated there was no want for a JPC probe. On high of that, Pawar later additionally spoke out on the diploma concern, differing with many opposition leaders who’re attempting to nook Modi over his instructional diploma which they declare is pretend. Pawar stated the tutorial diploma of somebody can’t be a political concern.
Pawar has clearly distanced from Rahul’s assaults on the Modi authorities, in an ample indication that the supposed opposition unity towards Modi is splintering properly earlier than it might crystallize into any concrete electoral entrance.
Before these two statements that go to defend Modi, Pawar had distanced himself from Rahul’s criticism of Hindutva icon VD Savarkar. Just when Rahul had sharpened his assault on Savarkar, Pawar got here out with a press release praising Savarkar. He stated Savarkar was a progressive chief who had constructed a temple and assigned its repairs to the Dalit neighborhood. He additionally stated that the controversy over Rahul’s feedback on Savrakar was distracting folks from different critical points on which the opposition can nook the Modi authorities. Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar too got here out with statements that cracked the opposition unity over the Adani concern, He additionally spoke towards one other perennial concern raised by opposition leaders, the alleged manipulation of EVMs by the BJP to win polls, He stated he had no drawback with EVMs which can’t be tampered with.
With Pawar distancing from Rahul and different opposition leaders attacking the Modi authorities on Adani, Rahul, who has been probably the most vocal towards the Modi authorities amongst opposition leaders, may get remoted.
And with Azad hitting again at Rahul now, there’s additionally an opportunity of Rahul dealing with hearth from the so-called G-23 group of veteran Congress leaders who will not be proud of the best way Rahul is operating the celebration. Criticism from veteran celebration insiders will probably be embarrassing for Rahul, particularly if they fight to soft-pedal the Adani concern.
With his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul had aimed to not solely revive his celebration but additionally to emerge as an aggressive chief who might fearlessly tackle the Modi authorities, and thus maybe the chief of a doable opposition entrance towards the BJP within the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections subsequent yr.
But now it appears Rahul’s favorite Adani concern might boomerang on him. With Pawar, one of the crucial necessary opposition leaders and in addition an alliance associate of the Congress, distancing from Rahul on the Adani concern, and now Azad questioning Rahul over his personal ties with businesspersons, Rahul couldn’t solely get remoted but additionally be left grappling with controversies tumbling out from his personal cabinet.