Rahul to spokespersons: Speak in one voice

 Be truthful, well-mannered and speak in one voice. This was Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s message to party spokespersons at a two-day workshop here.

Though the challenge posed by Narendra Modi was not part of the agenda, the message for the spokespersons was to stay true to facts and stay firm on the party line. The message for unity comes at a time when remarks by a number of senior leaders including Digvijay Singh, Shakeel Ahmad and Beni Prasad Verma have triggered “unnecessary” controversies. The message was clear. Those going beyond the party line would face action.

Gandhi also urged the leaders not to stoop to the level of the opponents while reacting to comments and maintain dignity in political discourse. Indulge in positive politics, was the theme of the session.

Gandhi also asked the leaders drawn from every state and frontal organisations like the NSUI and Indian Youth Congress to make use of the social media to get the party’s message across to the people.

The Congress is scheduled to unveil “Khidki,” its own information-sharing platform for spokespersons.

The UPA’s ambitious initiatives like MGNREGS, RTI, food security law and efforts to steer the economy in difficult times and global challenges were part of the deliberations on the first day.
Finance Minister P Chidambaram asked the participants to convey the achievements of the UPA by making effective use of local languages. He said local languages could also be an effective tool to puncture the false propaganda of the Opposition, particularly on the food bill.

The focus during the two-day meeting was on how better can the Congress showcase the achievements of the government and “expose the lies" spread by the Opposition by using all tools of communication including the social media. Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh told the gathering that the UPA had fulfilled its poll promises and given the right to food, information and education.

Gujarat PCC chief Arjun Modhvadia, one of the few persons who spoke at the gathering, talked about the disinformation campaign launc­hed by Modi. He contended that economic growth in the state has slowed down, contrary to what was being projected by the Chief Minister.

Modhvadia spoke about fake encounters in the state and the 2002 post-Godhra riots.  Chidambaram explained that one of the reasons for the rise in food items was also the increasing purchasing capacity in rural India due to the steady and better wages through schemes like MNREGS, sources said.