New Delhi: All set to take over as Congress chief next month, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday went on to defend dynastic politics and attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for mob lynchings and running an alleged abuse machine for targeting him on social media.
Speaking at University of California in Berkeley, Mr Gandhi tried to justify his position as heir apparent to the Congress by describing dynasties as an accepted reality and claiming that India “runs like this only”.
Talking of “sons rising”, Mr Gandhi gave examples of Akhilesh Yadav (son of Mulayam Singh Yadav) M.K. Stalin (son of M. Karunanidhi in DMK), Abhishek Bachchan (son of Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan) and Mukesh and Anil Ambani (sons of Dhirubhai Ambani). Mr Gandhi then said, “That’s how the entire country is running. Don’t just go after me.”
While his statement virtually left friendly outfits like Left parties squirming, the BJP tore the Congress vice-president to shreds for trying to justify dynastic politics. As for the Congress, Digvijay Singh jumped to Mr Gandhi’s defence.
Union minister Smriti Irani called Mr Gandhi a “failed dynast” and BJP president Amit Shah said the saffron party had ended dynasty politics, forcing “people to go to America and speak”.
