Rahul Gandhi - Withdrawal Symptoms

“He has leadership and it is evolving. Rahul does not need to grab power." Digvijaya, in an interview to Headlines Today Executive Editor Rahul Kanwal. Kanwal didn’t ask Digvijay an important question about his comment on RG. A few months ago, on Rahul Gandhi’s birthday in June, Digvijay Singh had declared “I think it is time Rahul becomes the Prime Minister”. Secondly, no one has accused RG of trying to grab power. So why the defence by Digvijay? Even if his cronies, like Digvijay don’t tell him, I am quite certain RG is aware of the many nicknames he has earned. Here are a few: Pappu, Babloo, Amul Baby, Buddhu, RahulRetard, OwlGandhi, ClownPrince and the list could go on. I doubt any ‘evolving leader’ has earned so many titles in a short time. Sure, simply dismiss those people as ones who just hate RG. The carefully crafted media plan and that of the Congress slaves of the dynasty is slowly coming undone. Ever since the mounds of ash and dead bodies of Bhatta Parsaul Rahul Gandhi is, in reality, running from his own shadow. And if Rahul Gandhi does have his ‘own mind’ why does someone like Digvijay have to speak for him so often? Far from ‘Rahul evolving’ there is evidence of withdrawal symptoms. 

The SpiceGirls, a girl-band of the UK, churned out hit after hit during 1996-97 and had become a rage. Britain, devoid of any great accomplishments in recent history, used marketing as a tool to promote personalities. Even David Beckham the footballer fumbled at major events prompting some commentators to bestow him the title “Anna Kournikova of football”. But Beckham did have talent and great performances to back him. What about the SpiceGirls? Well, the first time they went on stage live the crowds discovered the girls couldn’t really sing all that well. They came crashing. They were just studio-creations and not real singers. The media marketing blitz came crashing too. I would liken Rahul Gandhi to the case of SpiceGirls or AnnaKournikova, too much hype by the media and his supporters but lacking in real substance. Rahul Gandhi is, very much, the Anna Kournikova of Indian politics.

 

Ever since his dramatic Bhatta Parsaul discoveries of mounds of ash and dead bodies RG went into hiding for a while, only to resurface during Anna Hazare’s fast in August 2011. (Lately, Congress channel NDTV is desperate to prove he was right.)While the Anna agitation was proving to be a thorn our evolving leader rushes off to meet victims of police firing near Pune. Not a bad idea but the only response he has to Anna’s agitation is a written speech during zero hour in the parliament. He sought constitutional status for the Lokpal. That’s not all, he patted himself by calling it a “game-changer”. That was humility! Hahaha! Having seen the goof up the Congress ministers, like Salman Khurshid, somehow now want to shore up the ‘great vision' of RG in turning the Lokpal into a constitutional authority.

If at 41 RG is still evolving then I have to wonder when he will mature. There have been at least six or seven people who have been prime ministers or presidents around RG’s age, including his own father. For the record, William Pitt (The younger) was the youngest PM of the UK at age 24. Not just that, Pitt went on to be PM for 17 years. What does it say about a man about whom someone like Renuka Chaudhary, Congress spokesperson, had to say that “he is not a parrot”! He runs around schools and colleges and talks to students where cameras and media are banned. He suddenly dashes off to trouble spots like Bharatpur to sympathise with riot victims, sometimes wearing a skull cap.And the only channel that seems to be allowed to cover him is NDTV. His Bharatpur visit was shown on NDTV in grainy mobile videos. Later his stunt on a Delhi metro train and taxi ride was also reported on NDTV. So he even gets to pick the media he likes and is friendly to him. Evolving connectivity, I suppose!

Someone mentioned RG had a drug addiction problem and Tehelka even defended it. Yes, people do make mistakes. But it’s how they handle responsibility that counts. And what exactly is RG’s responsibility. Failed in Bihar, failed in Tamil Nadu, did he own up to any responsibility? Bihar is all the more shocking where his campaign leadership not only resulted in a severe loss but more or less wiped out his party. And reading written down speeches (God knows who writes those) without having to do a Q&A after it is a reflection of a person who does not have the slightest conviction in what he’s talking about.

Following the Anna agitation and Team Anna’s promised campaign against Congress in the Hisar bypoll one would have expected a leader to stand up and fight. What does RG do? He rushes off to Jhansi, for heaven knows why, and meets up with a Dalit family for dinner. You have an election battle that is being rated as a decisive bypoll and RG is nowhere to be seen. It’s not a shame to lose an election battle. It’s a shame to not even put up a fight by the so called evolving leader. And Hisar isn’t very far from Delhi either.The fear of failure is a serious withdrawal symptom in any supposed leader, even 'evolving' ones.

TOI in an article states (Oct 24): “It has now emerged that Rahul was at least partly responsible for the PM's insistence that Union ministers' spouses and children should also disclose their assets”. That is nice, it’s not as if RG does not have good intentions, it is just that he doesn’t have the talent or the courage to take issues head on. And whenever he speaks impromptu he betrays a severe lack of knowledge and intelligence. The more his gaffes are exposed the more he shrinks into a shell. The letter about family disclosing assets should have been extended further to include his own – Robert Vadra. The phenomenal rise in the reported wealth of Vadra surely does not seem to be mere business acumen.

If the Bhatta Parsaul comedy wasn’t enough, RG had to face some more sordid moments in front of cameras. His visit to the RML hospital after the Delhi HC blast on September 7 gave him a taste of something he had never experienced before – heckling and booing. Even though he might have been genuinely concerned for victims of the blast he has been so cocooned that he doesn’t learn how angry people are at his party. His own silly statements of RSS=SIMI etc., tutored by his mentor, reflect his thoughtlessness on issues of terrorism and suffering. Prior to the Delhi blast his "99% terror attacks averted" statement after the Mumbai blast was another instance of stupidity and bad timing, if not ill-intentioned.

Last week RG also gave a speech on globalisation. This was at an event at ‘Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Contemporary Studies’. The speech sounds like a cross between Arundhati Roy and Aruna Roy. “There was only one India 60 years ago and it was poor. That India was completely unconnected, both internally and externally. But India today has changed and is changing as we speak” said Gandhi. This reflects very poor understanding of history itself. There were rich people, very rich people, even 60 years ago as there were poor. There were zamindars, nizams, businessmen. The thought and longing from freedom from the British connected many Indians. If there is one party to be held responsible for damaging the aspirations of a free India it has to be the Congress. Why? Because for most part it was Congress that was dividing the nation at every single opportunity. The two Indias, which is RG’s pet theory, is a creation of his own party. What does it say about a two bit man-child who runs off to some European location to celebrate his birthday? If anyone has to introspect it has to be the Congress and not the people. In July 2011 RG is reported to have stated that “UP is being run by Dalals”. Hmm! Who’s running the Congress?

One of the funny reports about RG’s speech last week comes from SunetraChoudhury. “To find out this somewhat inane fact (Blackberry addiction), I, along with journalists representing all major news organisations, had to pass through an obstacle course that included arriving more than an hour before the event, being separated from all our own communication devices, and then sitting through long, academic lectures. Yes, us foolish hacks did all this to hear the elusive Gandhi express his views on some of the urgent issues facing the nation, but all we got was a balcony view of Gandhi toying with his phone and sneaking glances at it while others were speaking……The argument that his supporters and Congressmen make is that it is real India that matters and its voters are the ones that the UPA government needs to engage with. So does that mean the people who came from Ralegan Siddhi weren’t from the real India? Is that why the villagers, who announced their intention to meet Gandhi days before, were humiliated till the last minute? Gandhi’s office simply said that no appointment had been granted to them so there was no question of an audience. But don’t they get the ridiculousness of asking villagers to get an appointment?” Withdrawal!

The ridiculous incident with the Sarpanch and villagers of Ralegan Siddhi says it all about his connection with rural India. As far as I can see the behavioral patterns of RG are not of one who has evolved as a leader or whose understanding of issues has evolved into a direction or vision. He only seems to have developed serious withdrawal symptoms from real issues and is happy to read out speeches written by others. Maybe his mother’s illness has some influence on that. But clearly this is a man who cannot face any challenges and is unfit for any leadership role. If there was a title I would bestow upon him it would probably be Miss ‘Hit and Run’. A man who cannot honestly reform his own corrupt party can hardly be expected to handle a nation or international issues. He was heckled and faced protests in own constituency of Amethi during a recent visit. That done, he can now withdraw to a Dalit dinner in some corner of one of the Indias.

"Don't Worry, Relax"! Rahul G Understands Terror

"I understand terrorism... it has killed my father, my grandmother. I am no stranger to it." That’s what Rahul Gandhi stated at Gorakhpur on July 21 as reported by NDTV.

I must admit when Rajiv Gandhibecame Prime Minister I was a big admirer of his. His “clean” image held out a great promise. All that came to nothing when he first killed the SC’s Shah Bano judgement and then Bofors brought him down. Bofors coupled with the Italian connections in the background brought Rajiv down. Rajiv’s Italian connections destroyed him through Bofors. Now the Italian connection is destroying India itself. In contrast Rahul Gandhi, at an older age, neither comes across as “clean” nor half as bright as his father. I do recall the funeral of Rajiv Gandhi and watching Sonia, Priyanka and Rahul, I had nothing but sympathy for them apart from the anger at seeing a former and would-be PM being assassinated by an LTTE suicide bomber. The killing of Indira Gandhi was worse because I saw it as an attack on our nation. She was in office and was killed by people she trusted her life with, her own bodyguards. In both cases these were highly protected individuals unlike the helpless and unprotected innocent ones who are slaughtered in terrorist attacks. Can you tell the difference, RG?

So I can sense Rahul Gandhi’s loss. It’s our nation’s loss too. But does that mean he really understands terrorism? For a start there are certain features to terrorism that are different from pre-meditated murder of a person or targeted assassination of a political leader. Can RG tell the difference? In case of Indira Gandhi the Sikh bodyguards were kept on despite advice to the contrary by security heads. Indira, as a right-thinking PM, didn’t discriminate against the Sikh guards. Rajiv Gandhi, despite advice from his security personnel, allowed the lone suicide bomber to get close and kneel in front of him out of respect. The outcome was a national tragedy. Lately, is Rahul Gandhi not accused of flouting security norms frequently? In both cases the incidents are different from “terrorism” as we know it. Someone should tell Rahul Gandhi that.

Anyway, RG has done a discover India tour but it doesn’t look like he reads too much or understands history. That is why I doubt he really understands anything other than making populist statements or tutored statements, let alone understand something as complex and serious as terrorism.

I wonder if Rahul Gandhi has ever read the Jain Commission report. This commission was set up to inquire into the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. The inquiry was started in 1991 and the report submitted in 1997. Some of its contents reported in November 1997 by India Today, here and here, may help in educating Rahul Gandhi. Here are some excerpts from India Today (in blue):

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and his DMKresponsible for abetting Rajiv Gandhi's murderers. Also blamed are two former prime ministers, V.P. Singh and Chandra Shekhar, for their laxity in assessing the threat to Rajiv

The report has made uncharitable remarks about Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, criticising him for supping with the devil in the cause of political expediency.

The report is replete with examples of the DMK's proximity to the leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE), whose cadres killed Rajiv…..

"They (LTTE) sent personal emissaries to Karunanidhi for seeking his active support in their battle against the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF). These overtures of the LTTE towards the DMK started a chain of events which led to LTTE's survival and growth in Tamil Nadu even after the attitude of the Government of India had changed towards the LTTE after the hostilities between the IPKF and LTTE in Sri Lanka.'' The Jain report also concludes that the LTTE "was getting its supplies, including arms, ammunition, explosives, fuel and other essential items for its war against the IPKF from Tamil Nadu.

The report emphasises the political antagonism between the DMK government in the state and the Rajiv Gandhi government at the Centre. Karunanidhi took over as chief minister in January 1989 after his party's decisive victory over the Congress and the AIADMK. According to the report, 1989 signified "the perpetuation of the general political trend of indulging the Tamil militants on Indian soil and tolerance of their wide-ranging criminal and anti-national activities ... LTTE activities of arms smuggling, abduction of Indian citizens and officials and intimidation of the law enforcement machinery were tolerated". Citing the brutal murder of EPRLF leader K. Padmanabha, along with 15 others in Madras on June 19, 1990, Jain has resurrected memories of "the impunity with which the LTTE could operate in India"

For example, Kasi Anandan, a senior member of the 10-member central committee of the LTTE's political wing, admitted in his deposition on September 11, 1996, that "the LTTE had very friendly relations with Karunanidhi. In the days of Karunanidhi as CM, movement of LTTE was more free. Local administration was also friendly in Tamil Nadu"

The evidence against the Karunanidhi Government appears to be quite damning, particularly since the commission has been rather dismissive of the DMK's protestations of innocence. Deposing before the commission on January 17 this year, Karunanidhi asserted: "I had supported the LTTE along with other parties, but after the murder of Padmanabha, I withdrew my support." Jain is, however, disinclined to accept this denial: "It cannot be found that after June 19, 1990, the DMK government in Tamil Nadu gave no support to the LTTE."

Given Sonia Gandhi's divine status in the party, it is certain Congressmen will delight in competitive DMK-bashing, if only to impress 10 Janpath. There is the possibility that G.K. Moopanar's Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) will see the report as an excuse to detach itself from the DMK. Even so, the TMC will have to suffer the embarrassment of Jain's strictures against Chidambaram.

It may be stated that Chidambaram was there in the government of P.V. Narasimha Rao and besides that, he was also given additional charge relating to matters connected with the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi ... It was expected from P. Chidambaram that he would place all material and adduce all ... evidence with regard to the facts and accusations mentioned and levelled by him in his speech ... on 25.2.1991 ... Why he did not choose to act, is best known to him.

Congress functionaries, including the local Lok Sabha candidate Maragatham Chandrashekhar, had, said Verma, been party to a security lapse. The Congress workers "exhibited a total lack of awareness of their obligation to co-operate with the police force... and their intransigence created impediments in effective access control, necessary for Rajiv's security". The Congress ignored recommendations to initiate disciplinary action against them.

It’s a pretty damning report against the DMK and also against P. Chidambaram. What is amazing is that the report suggests that the then DMK government had actually supported LTTE against our own forces (IPKF). Now, the same DMK is a coalition partner with Congress. The very same P. Chidambaram is the Home Minister. How do you explain that Rahul Gandhi? Understanding terror also requires a strong principled policy and stand against it. In the case of Rajiv Gandhi, despite the Jain Commission report,  not a single person from DMK or any other political LTTE-sympathiser has been prosecuted. Thirteen years later the DMK as Congress partner was rewarded with key ministries. The outcome? Outrageous loot of the nation through various scams, particularly in the telecom sector. Well, shall we say “coalition compulsions” can wipe out even the deadliest sins?

So by all evidence RG not only doesn’t really understand terrorism but the report at NDTV further states:  The Congress General Secretary referred to December 1999 when the BJP was in power and freed three terrorists in exchange for 178 passengers who had been taken hostage on flight IC-814 from Kathmandu to Delhi. Among those released from prison was Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Mazood Azhar. "They released the terrorists. With folded hands, they freed the biggest terrorists in our prison……That man then went on to plan 26/11. And these people are trying to teach us about how to tackle terrorism. We don't bow down before anyone." Well, someone has to tell RG that the more he opens his mouth the more ignorance he displays. The 26/11 attacks are attributed to LeT and other individuals and not the ones released in 1999. But never mind that, there is something more important.

I would like to hear from Rahul Gandhi, or any Congress member who keep harping on the Kandahar issue, what exactly he would have done if he were PM and were handling the Kandahar hijack. If RG really comes up with an answer to that question then it would reflect his policy thinking on terrorism and show us how much he really understands terrorism. You never know, given our "intelligence", it could happen all over again. Of course, our friendly-fire media, will never ask RG that question. Till then we will have to contend with the bullshit of “intelligence” by the Home Minister, RG’s crap about “99%”  and using Kandahar as a defence and excuse for an absence of policy or action on prevention of terrorism. Innocent men, women and children being killed through acts of terrorism are quite different from targeted political assassinations.

The security personnel around Rajiv Gandhi advised him against allowing that LTTE woman close to garland him. Rajiv’s famous last words were “Don’t worry, relax”! He paid with his life for it. Now his son is saying he “understands” terror almost telling the whole nation don’t worry, relax!

Manish Tiwari Establishes ‘The Supreme Court Of Perception’

On Friday (March 4) there were two events of significance concerning the CBI. First, the Supreme Court issued notices to L.K. Advani and others on the Babri case on an appeal by the CBI. Earlier, a High Court had quashed further proceedings against Advani & Co. on this case. The second, a Delhi Court accepted the CBI’s appeal for closure of the Bofors investigation.

Predictably, Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari was invited on CNN-IBN to comment on the SC notice to Advani. I assume Tiwari believes the SC too may throw out the CBI appeal. So instead of commenting on the notice Tiwari makes a sweeping judgement on Advani and others. His repeated statement to CNN-IBN’s Bhupen Choubey was that regardless of the outcome of the appeal in the SC it was established in the eyes of the people that ‘Advani and others, the BJP, the VHP, the RSS and the Sangh Parivar’ were responsible for the Babri masjid incident. And his statement effectively meant that in ‘public perception’ the people and groups involved were already ‘guilty’. And like lame ducks, both Choubey and the other anchor on CNN-IBN allowed  Tiwari to continue with his senseless rant.

Manish Tiwari - Chief Justice: 'Supreme Court of Perception'

Manish Tiwari is supposedly a lawyer. I have no idea since when lawyers started using ‘perception’ as strong evidence in legal issues. Never mind! I agree that perception does influence thoughts and actions of people but I doubt courts are influenced by perceptions. Perhaps they do in ‘The Supreme Court of Perception’ conveniently established by Manish Tiwari, with himself as its Chief Justice. So, I have some more cases for Mr. Manish Tiwari.

In the second case where a Delhi Court has accepted closure of the Bofors case are Rajiv Gandhi, Quatrochi and others now ‘perceived’ to be ‘not-guilty’? The media should take that to the Court of Manish Tiwari and it would be interesting to hear his answers.

Again, Advani recently apologised to Sonia Gandhi on Swiss bank accounts. Hmmm, that again should be taken to Manish Tiwari’s court of perception. Do people really believe that Sonia Gandhi or family does not have Swiss accounts? On Friday, on the black money case the petitioner once again repeated the charge of the Gandhi family holding illegitimate Swiss bank accounts and ill-gotten wealth. That includes a 2 Bn dollar pay off by the KGB. What does Manish Tiwari’s court of perception have to say about that? An Allahabad court has recently issued notice to Rahul Gandhi in a petition of ‘illegal detention’ of a woman named Sukanya and her family. What’s the perception Mr. Tiwari? In the same related incident there are allegations of rape against Rahul Gandhi floating for over 4 years on the net. What’s the perception, Mr. Tiwari?

Who killed Sanjay Gandhi? Why was the inquiry commission closed? Any answers from the court of perception? How did politicians like Madhavrao Scindia, Rajesh Pilot and YSR die in mysterious accidents? Should we take these cases to the courts of perception?  I am quite certain the loud and foul-mouthed Tiwari will certainly have answers to all of these. The case of Hassan Ali, accused to have black money to the tune of 9Bn dollars in Swiss bank was not being pursued vigorously by the UPA. This till the Supreme Court had to lash out asking “what the hell is going on..”. And the media suddenly reveals political connections of Hassan Ali. What’s the perception, Mr. Tiwari?

The media frequently calls politicians and allows them to make ‘hit and run’ statements without any follow up questions. If perceptions were votes Mr. Tiwari, you would be selling vegetables at Crawford Market.

Prof. Rahul Gandhi : Inflation & Corruption Linked To Coalition...

On a ‘bad-TV’ night this could happen to you. Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari and CNN-IBN’s Sagarika Ghose could be on at the same time. The duo can out-decibel even the headbanger group called ‘Bhayanak Maut’! The two are very different. One is a TV screen hog, shouts over everyone else, knows more about law than Ram Jethmalani, can talk endlessly without meaning anything, can interpret everything that Rahul Gandhi says, usually starts with a statement of not having heard the actual statement and the other, of course, is Sagarika Ghose. One is the Raging Bull and the other is Ms. Caconfonix herself. So between them they managed to once again cloud the stupidity behind Prof. Rahul Gandhi’s utterances.

So the simple question that Sagarika put across to Tiwari was that Rahul Gandhi’s statement  to the effect that price rise and corruption are consequences of compulsions of coalition government was ‘meaningless’ and asked Tiwari to explain. That was Prof. Rahul Gandhi addressing students in Lucknow in a meeting organised by National Students Union Of India (NSUI) on January 11, where he linked price-rise and corruption to coalition government. Do you feel educated now? (For a change the media was allowed to attend this particular meeting, unlike the ones before.)

And so Manish Tiwari responds with a disclaimer that he hasn’t heard the statement but will interpret it for us. How kind of him! Apart from more lipstick, Tiwari now adds jewellery to the pig! He goes on to explain rainfall damaging onion crops and finally established a clear reason for the high prices. ‘It’s because demand exceeds supply”! Lo and behold, Manish Tiwari has founded and established a principle of economics that all the Amartya Sens and Keynes and the likes of the world never discovered. How come we idiots never knew anything about demand and supply affecting prices? Do you feel educated now?

Rahul Gandhi was asked  why the UPA government is "not able to control inflation and corruption as his grandmother and late prime minister Indira Gandhi could do". Really?  I wonder what bright student asked that question. Someone educated by the likes of Prof. Rahul Gandhi probably. I will field that one for the student. It was in Indira’s time that corruption was institutionalised, inflation started pinching the common man. Hoarding as a practice was born during Indira’s time. The ‘angry young man’ was born during Indira Gandhi’s time! Do you feel educated now?

Coalition may be a compulsion but it is outright majority that has institutionalised corruption in India. Rahul Gandhi seems to remember Indira Gandhi but seems to have forgotten his dear father, Rajiv Gandhi. Rajiv Gandhi was voted to power on a sympathy wave with the Congress then getting 413 seats in the parliament. No single party ever had that kind of majority. Yet, after arriving as Mr.Clean, Rajiv Gandhi is remembered most for two things. One is the infamous reversal of the SC ruling on the ‘Shah Bano’ case and two, the infamous Bofors scandal. The Bofors scandal is a landmark on the road to corruption by politicians and the Gandhi family. That didn’t come out of coalition compulsions, did it? Prof. Rahul Gandhi can likely be a future PM. Do you feel educated now?

It is one thing for the media to report Rahul’s stupid utterances with undue prominence but altogether another to  have someone like a Manish Tiwari interpret it for us. The lipstick is getting thicker by the day. I feel educated, do you?