Rahul Gandhi not being allowed to function independently: Digvijay
Darpan News Desk IANS, 25 Feb, 2015 11:54 AM
Congress party vice president Rahul Gandhi "feels very strongly" that he is not being allowed to function independently by "vested interests" in the party, said Congress party general secretary Digvijay Singh Wednesday.
In an interview with Headlines Today, Digvijay Singh said Rahul Gandhi was "not running away" and he is "made of sterner stuff".
Digvijay Singh said that Gandhi had held consultations on the future roadmap of the Congress before going on leave. He acknowledged that he was surprised when he learnt about the latter's leave, adding he came to know about it from journalists.
Asked if Gandhi was frustrated at not being allowed to function freely within the party, Digvijay Singh said: "I'm not sure of that, only he can answer. One thing I know that he feels very strongly that he is not being allowed to function independently."
When asked who was stopping him Singh said "the party itself", adding: "Vested interests in the party."
He discounted any difference between party chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, saying they had a good bonding but they were different in their thinking due to the age gap, a feature which exists in all families.
Digvijay Singh also mentioned Congress workers in Delhi were more disillusioned with Rahul Gandhi than their colleagues from other units in the country.
"Time has come for him to aggressively come out on issues. He should be seen more. People want to know what Rahul Gandhi stands for. What is Rahul Gandhi's development strategy for the country," he added.
India Monday placed in orbit five foreign satellites, prompting a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to develop a SAARC satellite to be "dedicated to our neighbourhood as a gift from India".
The Indian space programmes are most cost effective and the cost incurred for the Mars mission was less than the money invested to make the Hollywood movie "Gravity", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here Monday.
The government Monday said it will facilitate the return of over 600 Indians from non-conflict areas of Iraq this week, as efforts continued to secure the safe release of Indians in captivity in war-torn areas of the Gulf nation.
Seeking to end an "unseemly controversy" kicked up by his views on sex education, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan Friday denied that he proposes a ban on sex education in schools, saying he supports "pedagogy that is scientific and culturally acceptable".
At least five people were killed when the Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express derailed in Bihar early Wednesday, police said. Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi ruled out sabotage while his Assam counterpart Tarun Gogoi asked a top police officer to visit the spot and oversee relief work.
