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When the country is divided over the Agnipath Scheme for armed forces (which saw violent protests all over ) and Maharashtra is all set to get a new government after Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition collapsed and Uddhav resigning , Congress General secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra apparently is missing in action. As per reports, has flown out of the country.
According to some reports, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stopped in Mumbai for a few hours and met party leaders to take stock of the situation amid the political crisis, there were conflicting reports that she did make a brief stop in Mumbai but did not meet anyone and flew to the Maldives. Priyanka’s absence has given the opposition cannon fodder to target her.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) didn’t miss the opportunity to take a swipe at the Congress party, as BJP’s Amit Malviya tweeted immediately, “The Gandhis have their priority sorted. Congress leaders were made to sweat on the streets and defend Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald scam, while sibling Priyanka Vadra was busy planning a foreign trip! There is much Congress workers can learn from the Shiv Sainiks…”.
Priyanka Gandhi, who was accompanying her brother Rahul Gandhi to the ED office for his questioning in the National Herald case, made an address during Congress’s ‘Satyagraha’ protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi in solidarity with youths protesting the controversial Agnipath scheme. Urging the youth to recognise “fake nationalists”, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the Agnipath scheme would be destructive for the youth and the Army, as she assured her party’s full support to those protesting peacefully against the new recruitment model.
“There is no bigger patriot than you. I want to tell you, open your eyes and recognise the fake nationalists and fake patriots. The entire country and the Congress are with you in your struggle,” Priyanka Gandhi said in her remarks aimed at the youths protesting the Agnipath scheme. In her address, the Congress general secretary also recited a few lines from Harivansh Rai Bachchan’s Hindi poem ‘Agnipath’ to urge the youths to persevere and keep struggling peacefully.
Well, as the Agnipath scheme has calm down, unprecedented developments in Maharashtra politics where Congress has a major role to play( third party in the coalition) , the general secretary has quietly flown away, leaving the party in lurch. No wonder Congress is paying the price by choosing to stay attached to the surname ‘Gandhi’. Enjoying all possible perks that of an MP, without winning any election, Priyanka is gradually becoming white elephant for the party rather than an asset, who was, not long ago, looked upon as the next Indira Gandhi in making! Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out to be so! The UP election was the first major disaster under her leadership. Not only this, she no more seems to be interested in reviving her party, rather seems to be enjoying the privilege of being ‘Gandhi’.
Priyanka can very well take lessons how her women counterparts in other parties are doing and making a name for themselves. Supriya Sule, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Mahua Moitra are few examples who are working hard silently yet very vocal while raising issues in or out of the Parliament. Whether it is Nupur Sharma controversy or Agnipath, these ladies have been quite vociferous about their parties opinion, while the case is not the same when it comes to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra , who makes guest appearances when a incident happens and then does the vanishing act .
It is time when senior leadership left in the grand old Indian National Congress needs to think whether they really need a ‘Gandhi’ or some well qualified political figure who is genuinely interested in saving the party. As there is a saying , a vibrant democracy needs a strong opposition. But if the Opposition say like the Congress is hell bent on committing self- destruction then democracy could be in peril.
