Rahul Gandhi has no aptitude for politics, his heart is abroad: Ghulam Nabi Azad

I wasn’t the person who hugged the PM after a speech. Rahul through his actions is making 'Congress-mukt Bharat', says Azad

One of Congress’ senior most leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad has quit the party after writing a stinging five-page letter that is seen as an indictment of both party president Sonia Gandhi and former chief Rahul Gandhi. A politician of five decades, Azad places 2004 as the year that started the collapse of the consultation system in the party when Rahul became an MP. It accentuated after 2013 when he became party Vice President. Azad spoke to DH’s Shemin Joy on why he quit the party and what his future plans are.

What went wrong with Congress in these years?

During 1998-2004, Sonia Gandhi used to take decisions through consultation with senior and experienced leaders. There was no interference from the family. In a way there was collective leadership and collective responsibility though we did not spell it out that way. The senior leaders who were involved in the process used to produce results. Everybody owned their decision because they were part of the decision making process. From 2004 when Rahul Gandhi became an MP in 2004, unfortunately, Sonia's consultation with senior leaders was reduced to half. The consultation was more between Sonia and Rahul and gradually Congress leaders got isolated. After Rahul was made Vice President in January 2013, Sonia almost took a back seat and left the decision making to Rahul. Entire decision-making process was with Rahul. Everybody was told to meet him, see him. So he controlled the party. Rahul was not interested to meet or discuss with anybody or delegate the powers. His only agenda was to shunt out those above 60 years. He did not bother if those 35-years-old he chose had political aptitude or experience. Politics is not about age, it is about experience.

So, is Rahul Gandhi's working style the problem?

He is a good person but he has no aptitude for politics. We tried to make him a successful leader. His mind and heart are not here in politics. His heart is abroad.

But it is said Gandhis are the unifying factor for the Congress. Your take?

Congress has reached a stage where whoever be the president, he will just be a scapegoat. Can he win one seat in Andhra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, UP or Bengal. Odisha, Gujarat, or in Kerala without an alliance? The then party president (Rahul) himself lost from Amethi in UP in 2019.

Who is responsible for this situation?

The one who is running the party now.

Has Sonia or Rahul reached out to you after the resignation? What are your future plans?

No. None from the leadership has contacted me. I will be launching a party soon after consulting supporters.

There were reports about the fight between the old guard and the young brigade. Was there no attempt to bridge the gap?

Indira Gandhi dealt with three generations. She had leaders from her father's generation, her generation and youth, including many of us, in party and government. We who were in Youth Congress then felt Indira was Youth Congress, her generation leaders felt she was theirs and her father’s generation also found it comfortable with her though some of them were not comfortable with Nehru. If Indira could work with three generations, why can’t you work with two generations -- your father's and your own? Some of us were working with his grandmother, father and uncle. So, what is your problem? Jyotiraditya Scindia, RPN Singh, Jiten Prasada, Sushmita Dev, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Ashok Tanwar, Hardik Patel -- none of them belong to our generation. They were Team Rahul. Old people may be angry but it is people of your age who are leaving the party. It means there is something wrong with your working style.

What was the breaking point that you decided enough is enough?

Since 2013 we have been pursuing reforms. In the 2013 Jaipur conclave, the panel on organisation headed by me suggested elaborate measures to be undertaken at different levels to win the 2014 elections. Sonia and Rahul spent 80% of their time in that committee though they were not members of the committee. Despite reminders, it is still lying in the AICC store room. We lost the 2014 elections. Then I said let us create a mechanism for the next polls. They did not implement anything. Nothing happened in nine years. Then I wrote a letter (before the G-23 letter) underlying the need for taking certain actions. There was no action on that. Then there was the G-23 letter. We wanted a full-time president, election to Congress Working Committee, the Central Election Authority. We haven't had elections to the Working Committee for the last 25 years. A generation has gone. After the G-23 letter, a meeting of the CWC was called digitally and everyone pounced on us, as if how dare you people give suggestions? If we say 'Ji Huzoor', Congress will be finished. We had not abused the party, we were giving suggestions. We were abused right, left and centre. We didn’t mind. In that very meeting, we were told that we were hobnobbing with the BJP. Rahul spearheaded the attack.

Was there any follow-up to the G-23 letter?

Six months later in December 2020, Sonia called ten of the G-23 leaders and ten others for a meeting. The meeting lasted for 6-7 hours. In the meeting I made it clear that we are not after positions, none of us want to be party president or an MP or an office bearer. We said five Assembly elections are taking place (in 2021 May) and we should have a campaign committee in advance. My argument was that there was no point in having a star campaigner list during the election as candidates do not have time for public meetings and their emphasis will be on reaching out to people directly. I suggested that the party prepare a 50 member committee and put all 23 of us in it. I said the G-23 will make its own campaign chart and would not depend or burden the Congress leadership. We will organise our travel and accommodation. But it was not accepted. It is a shame that you have such experienced people whose outreach is across the country and you do not utilise them. Use us, we said but the result was no committee was formed. It was only formed just before the elections. I was dropped from the star campaigner list after 42 years for the first time. Where were the elections? Three states where there are substantial Muslim population – West Bengal, Assam and Kerala and you know the results there. By keeping me out, you have finished yourself in the state. Even a foolish person would not drop a Muslim leader as star campaigner in a state where Muslims are in good numbers. Whose agenda are you fulfilling? Are you harming me or helping Modi, Mamata etc?

Do you mean to say that no suggestions were accepted?

In the CWC, you cannot say anything because there are a number of invitees, who are block level, district level leaders. Sixty-seventy people is not a committee but a crowd. If you give any suggestion, they will pounce upon you. That forum is closed. If I give a suggestion, they abuse me. We cannot have 'tu tu, mein mein' in the CWC. This happened after invitees were inducted. They were inducted because they can give slogans. In earlier CWCs, leadership was challenged but nothing will go outside.

So, personal humiliation was a big factor?

Yes, it is. I am counting from 2004 when the process of consultation started eroding.

It is said that the last straw was the setting up of committees in Jammu and Kashmir without consulting you. How true is it?

I was told that I will have to run Kashmir affairs, as they have tried everything and that I am the last person who could set things right. But without my consent, I was included in two committees of which one I was to lead. I still don't know many of those in the panels. Six committees with 80 members were made without telling me. It was the utmost level of humiliation and denigration of a person.

Congress leadership claimed that there were consultations, at least four times. Are you countering that narrative?

I know Rahul takes the decisions but most of my consultations were with Sonia. Sonia had told Rahul that before taking a final decision, he should ask me. Rahul didn't ask me. He chose the youngest one in the list as party chief. He discarded older ones despite their experience. He called Vikar Rasool Wani individually and told him that he will be the party chief. Wani was told not to tell or meet anyone. He was in Delhi for one week but did not meet me. And, you want me to run the organisation? General Secretary in-charge Rajni Patil met me ten times and General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal met me twice. None of them told me anything about the committees being set up. I had told them not to make Working Presidents. But they went ahead. There was a reason why I told them that because you need to have proper representation. Otherwise, it would have been a problem. We have examples. None of the frontal organisation chiefs are from Kashmir. All are from Jammu city. That is not right. I had told them not to make me campaign committee chairman. I am too senior for the campaign committee in a union territory. That was the worst thing and then I was also in the state Political Affairs Committee. I am already in the PAC under Sonia at the national level. Who is the Chairman there? Tariq Hameed Karra, who joined the party four years ago, was a junior minister from PDP when I was Chief Minister. If this isn’t humiliation, then what is it?

One of the main allegations is that you are taking this action because you were not renominated to the Rajya Sabha and that you are collaborating with the BJP. How do you respond?

Only those illiterates, especially those who are doing clerical work, in Congress can level these allegations. One who understands Kashmir will know that I will not get a single vote from the BJP camp. Similarly, BJP will not get a vote from its supporters. So where is the area of convergence? If the Rajya Sabha seat was the case, I would not have been part of the G-23. I got involved when I was the Leader of Opposition and I knew it could create problems. So these are Congress propaganda against me.

Congress has sharply attacked you describing that your DNA has been "Modi-fied". How true is that?

I was not the person who hugged the Prime Minister after a speech. I am not the person who is responsible for making the country Congress-mukt. Rahul Gandhi through his actions is making 'Congress-mukt Bharat'. Now tell me, which party unit the person who made that comment represents. He was OSD to a Prime Minister from another party. I wanted to remain silent but these attacks forced me to speak again.