Rahul Gandhi has become the biggest crowd puller in the country and the Bharat Jodo Yatra it is the beginning of a change in India, says the secretary general of the Congress KC extension Venugopal. He told TOI that there is no concern about opposition unity as it will emerge automatically and that Rahul wants it to happen. Excerpts from the interview:
What has Congress achieved from the Bharat Jodo Yatra?
This yatra was beyond our expectations. When September 7 last year began, no one thought it would be a turning point in national politics. It was felt that the yatra could work well in Kerala and Karnataka but the response in the north was superb and that in Kashmir was unimaginable. It has electrified our cadres, our organizational capacity has increased, and the functioning style of our workers and the party has totally changed. Also, Congress workers, sympathizers who were not active, connected through the yatra. Basically, the “independents” who don’t believe in Congress but want a strong opposition party that resists the current political culture, connected with us. All this may not have changed the course of the country, but the atmosphere suggests the beginning of change.
The emphasis of Congress and of Rahul Gandhi has been on communalism and bigotry. Could it backfire, since such attention is believed to polarize people in favor of the BJP?
Our slogan is clear: nafrat ke bazaar mein mohabbat ki dukan (in the hate market, a love shop). People don’t have that kind of hate on religion issue but BJP causes polarization with support of media and agencies like CBI, ED and police. We sent a message to people that they shouldn’t be afraid and shouldn’t fall in love with fear. Our stance on divisive policy against the BJP has been welcomed by the public.
Rahul Gandhi was at the center of the Yatra. How does Congress view the yatra from its point of view?
As an activist, Rahul used to travel everywhere for Congress and will continue to do so. But through this yatra, Rahul became the biggest crowd puller in the country and the people of India completely demolished the narrative about him created by the BJP-RSS. During the march, every day, 200 strange people walked with him and discussed their concerns. He would have listened to them, whether they were peasants or young people or women or disabled or ex-military men. They were not Congress people and they understood who Rahul Gandhi is: an intelligent, courageous and dynamic person, with the ability to listen to people. Automatically, Rahul became the biggest supporter of Congress.
Did the yatra finale in Srinagar fail to see the kind of opposition rally that was planned?
We invited other political parties to join the yatra and most of them attended. It was a courtesy that we extended to them to join the culminating function, we did not make it into an opposition conclave. Their absence is not a big deal. Now in parliament all opposition parties are united. Rahul is telling everyone that the atmosphere in the country requires genuine opposition unity to fight the Modi government. He says Congress cannot fight it alone because we are not facing only the BJP government but the combined strength of the agencies and the media. We are doing politics in abnormal times. Congress will do its utmost for opposition unity, which will automatically emerge when the time comes.
What has Congress achieved from the Bharat Jodo Yatra?
This yatra was beyond our expectations. When September 7 last year began, no one thought it would be a turning point in national politics. It was felt that the yatra could work well in Kerala and Karnataka but the response in the north was superb and that in Kashmir was unimaginable. It has electrified our cadres, our organizational capacity has increased, and the functioning style of our workers and the party has totally changed. Also, Congress workers, sympathizers who were not active, connected through the yatra. Basically, the “independents” who don’t believe in Congress but want a strong opposition party that resists the current political culture, connected with us. All this may not have changed the course of the country, but the atmosphere suggests the beginning of change.
The emphasis of Congress and of Rahul Gandhi has been on communalism and bigotry. Could it backfire, since such attention is believed to polarize people in favor of the BJP?
Our slogan is clear: nafrat ke bazaar mein mohabbat ki dukan (in the hate market, a love shop). People don’t have that kind of hate on religion issue but BJP causes polarization with support of media and agencies like CBI, ED and police. We sent a message to people that they shouldn’t be afraid and shouldn’t fall in love with fear. Our stance on divisive policy against the BJP has been welcomed by the public.
Rahul Gandhi was at the center of the Yatra. How does Congress view the yatra from its point of view?
As an activist, Rahul used to travel everywhere for Congress and will continue to do so. But through this yatra, Rahul became the biggest crowd puller in the country and the people of India completely demolished the narrative about him created by the BJP-RSS. During the march, every day, 200 strange people walked with him and discussed their concerns. He would have listened to them, whether they were peasants or young people or women or disabled or ex-military men. They were not Congress people and they understood who Rahul Gandhi is: an intelligent, courageous and dynamic person, with the ability to listen to people. Automatically, Rahul became the biggest supporter of Congress.
Did the yatra finale in Srinagar fail to see the kind of opposition rally that was planned?
We invited other political parties to join the yatra and most of them attended. It was a courtesy that we extended to them to join the culminating function, we did not make it into an opposition conclave. Their absence is not a big deal. Now in parliament all opposition parties are united. Rahul is telling everyone that the atmosphere in the country requires genuine opposition unity to fight the Modi government. He says Congress cannot fight it alone because we are not facing only the BJP government but the combined strength of the agencies and the media. We are doing politics in abnormal times. Congress will do its utmost for opposition unity, which will automatically emerge when the time comes.
