Nitin Jain
Ludhiana, February 7
“Indiscipline is intolerable but we are flexible,” the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said.
In an exclusive chat with The Tribune after announcing the incumbent Charanjit Singh Channi as the ruling party’s chief ministerial candidate for the February 20 high-stakes Punjab Assembly polls in Ludhiana on Sunday evening, he admitted that some leaders in the Congress sometimes exceed their limits while speaking on public forums, which is considered as indiscipline.
“There should be discipline in the party and indiscipline should not be tolerated at any cost but we are flexible enough to hear all what our leaders have to say,” Rahul said, adding, “We accept all such comments and statements made by our leaders that are considered indiscipline only because we believe in democracy and want to hear all voices no matter how positive or negative they are as we don’t believe in one-man rule or dictatorship.”
Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as “rajas” (kings), who, he said, are acting as “dictators” and are one-man rulers for their parties, Rahul said, “No country or state can be ruled like thishellip;there are different voices and opinions of different people in the same party and even in the family, which we need to respect and hear all of them to make a collective decision instead of imposing what a king or a ruler has said, which is considered irreversible or writing on the wall in the BJP and other parties, but the Congress is an exception.”
Endorsing Channi as CM face and reiterating that it was a collective decision taken by the state’s people and the party’s leaders but not him, the Congress leader said, “We have given a new vision and roadmap for the betterment of Punjab and welfare of its people.”
Rahul vowed to provide power, water, road, food, clothing and housing for all in Punjab under the chief ministership of Channi and collective leadership of Navjot Singh Sidhu, Sunil Jakhar and other leaders, who, he claimed, will drive together to take the border state to new heights.
“I have known Sidhu for four decades, Jakhar, Ravneet Bittu and other state leaders for long as wellhellip;they all are competent and experienced, many of whom I have seen rising, but the people of Punjab chose a poor Dalit man Channi as their leader,” he said, while trying to dissuade the palpable uneasiness among Channi’s contemporaries, who could not make it to the choice for CM face.
Exuding confidence that all, especially Sidhu, will work as a cohesive force to retain Punjab, Rahul said, “Since Channi is Punjab’s choice, the Congress will return to power with an unprecedented majority.”
“While the CM remains leader of the House, the party president has a major role to play as a leader among the masses,” Rahul Gandhi added, while striking a balance between the two leaders.
Indiscipline is intolerable but we're flexible: Rahul Gandhi
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