Kharge Punctures Rahul’s Attack On Congress Defectors, Reminds Him Of Their Ties  

It seems Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge is perhaps the only leader who can dare speak a few home truths to Rahul Gandhi. That’s precisely what he did given his stature and age. During a recent casual discussion at the Congress headquarters in Indira Bhawan, Gandhi as the LoP in the Lok Sabha was taking pot shots at Cong leaders who had quit the party and praised those who stayed back to take on the BJP and the RSS. Rahul said he had always believed that party workers were Babbar Sher (lions)who were not afraid of political pressure or cases. He said those who had remained with the Cong had continued to fight the BJP and RSS rather than give in to intimidation. Taking a swipe at those who had left, Gandhi described them as “cowards” and “greedy”, suggesting that some had quit under pressure or in pursuit of personal interests. He cited the exits of leaders including Jyotiraditya Scindia, RPN Singh and Jitin Prasada. Kharge did not keep quiet; he reportedly remarked that all those who had quit to join the BJP were all Rahul’s friends–“your friends”. They were all Doon School elites just as Rahul was. Scindia left the party in 2020 and joined the BJP. So did RPN Singh and Jitin Prasada switching to the BJP. The political significance of Kharge’s remark lay in its timing: Gandhi was drawing a contrast between those who had left and those who had continued to stand by the Congress, while the party president reminded him of the personal associations some of the departing leaders had once shared with him.