Last Updated:
This is not the only time when Rahul’s timing or that of his party has been off the mark, putting allies in a tight spot
Like the RSS, Savarkar has been a significant issue for Rahul Gandhi. File pic/PTI
Rahul Gandhi has done it again, pushing his allies into a corner. During an interaction in Colombia, he attacked the RSS and Veer Savarkar. This naturally put his Maharashtra allies in a difficult position, especially as they are working hard to make a comeback. Thus, it was not surprising when Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey said, “We should avoid making negative statements. I would request Rahul Gandhi to focus on fighting the BJP rather than commenting on the RSS and Veer Savarkar.”
Like the RSS, Savarkar has been a significant issue for Rahul Gandhi. With single-minded devotion, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha has made attacks on Savarkar and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh his core political issue. He remains undaunted by the many defamation suits against him, preferring to see them as a badge of honour. However, there was one occasion when he had to quieten down. At a closed-door meeting of the INDIA bloc, Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray told Sonia Gandhi, in Rahul Gandhi’s presence, that his attacks on Savarkar would hurt the NCP-SP and Shiv Sena (UBT) politically in Maharashtra. They requested Sonia Gandhi to make Rahul Gandhi see reason.
While Rahul Gandhi may not have been convinced, he certainly did not mention both during his campaigns in the Maharashtra polls. But the BJP had already found an issue which it used to take barbs at the NCP-SP and Uddhav’s Sena, a barb that continues to haunt the two Maharashtra-based parties.
But this is not the only time when Rahul’s timing or that of his party has been off the mark, making the allies squirm. Recently, the Kerala Congress punned on GST using bidi and Bihar, and Congress leaders attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother. The RJD conveyed to the Congress top leadership that this would hurt them, and the Congress was made to delete and reprimand those responsible for the post.
The TMC’s grudge has always been that the Congress refuses to look at defeat with a single-minded focus. It has been uncomfortable with narratives like “Chowkidaar Chor Hai”. But Rahul Gandhi is on his path, even if it leaves the INDIA bloc off track.
Pallavi Ghosh has covered politics and Parliament for 15 years, and has reported extensively on Congress, UPA-I and UPA-II, and has now included the Finance Ministry and Niti Aayog in her reportage. She has als…Read More
Pallavi Ghosh has covered politics and Parliament for 15 years, and has reported extensively on Congress, UPA-I and UPA-II, and has now included the Finance Ministry and Niti Aayog in her reportage. She has als… Read More
October 02, 2025, 22:46 IST
Read More
