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.
The verbal spat between the Congress and the BJP grew more strident Sunday with the BJP's allegations of "corruption under patronage" in land deals of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra evoked a spirited response from his wife Priyanka Gandhi, who accused the party of "running like bewildered rats".
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said that his fight against BJP prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi is not a "battle of prestige" but one to save the country from corrupt forces.
Ridiculing Rahul Gandhi, BJP's prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi Sunday said that for the Congress vice president, poverty was a "matter of fun" as he had never experienced any such thing in his life.
Punjab Congress president Pratap Singh Bajwa Sunday said that he would bring in a legislation proposing death penalty for those indulging in drugs trade.
National Conference (NC) patron and Srinagar Lok Sabha candidate Farooq Abdullah said Sunday that Jammu and Kashmir would not remain a part of India if the country becomes communal, while asking those who vote for Narendra Modi to "drown themselves".
Even as India is going through the last phase of a critical and intensely contested general election, which hopefully will lead to a new government in Delhi by late May, the appointment of a new army chief to succeed General Bikram Singh who retires on July 31 has become the focus of a potentially damaging controversy
