NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTION 99
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Sonia launches political offensive in style

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

It sure was old wine, but it was packaged well, and had all the hallmarks of a carefully plotted strategy against the Atal Bihar Vajpayee government.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi's rally today to celebrate Dr B R Ambedkar's birth anniversary at the Talkatora Stadium here revealed nothing new. But it had all the ingredients of success -- drama, emotion, songs, dances and a cheering, rapturous crowd.

The Talkatora rally, like some of Gandhi's recent rallies, brought out the Congress chief's wrath against the government's proposal to review the Constitution. She bewailed the Bharatiya Janata Party's "devious design" in going ahead with the review despite the ruling coalition not having a majority either in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha, highlighted the government's move to distort history books and sow the seeds of division among the people, and asserted that it was an insult to the founding fathers, especially Dr Ambedkar and Jawaharlal Nehru who had crafted the Constitution, which is widely acknowledged as a masterpiece.

"The government is doubting the intentions of Dr Ambedkar, chief architect of the Constitution, and that is why it has ignored popular feelings of the people and is going ahead with its devious design in amending it," Gandhi said to thunderous cheers from the capacity crowd.

More drama followed.

"The government may do what it pleases, but we in the Congress certainly won't allow it to succeed in its objective of altering the Constitition," she said.

More clapping, more cheering, more slogans of 'Sonia Gandhi zindabad' and 'Desh ki neta Sonia Gandhi'.

What was notable was that Gandhi has said almost the same things at other venues, but the large gathering mostly comprising dalits and tribals seemed to give its stamp of approval to the Congress chief, going by their effusive conduct.

She referred to the killing of dalits in Nagpur when Dr Ambedkar's statue had been "defiled" under the non-Congress government in the state. Sensing that the crowd was fully with her she then unleashed her 'masterpiece'. "The best tribute to Dr Ambedkar would be to ensure that such people [the government] are never again allowed to assume power," she said, as a huge roar greeted her and the crowd jumped to its feet. The organisers had to use much persuasion to restore order.

It was apparent today that at least the dalits and the tribals are with the Congress chief as she used the 'medium' of Dr Ambedkar to launch a frontal assault on the BJP-led government.

She took the gathering to an emotional high when she contended that she had written to Prime Minister Vajpayee on the Gujarat government circular allowing its employees to join the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. But till date, the prime minister has not responded to her queries, she said. And this, according to her, proves that Vajpayee doesn't care much for the country's democratic process.

The credit for the success of the Talkatora rally goes to Congress spokesman Ajit Jogi and party worker Jaykishan whose immaculate arrangements not only resulted in a capacity crowd but also the virtual worship of the Congress chief.

Of course, the planning included 'obseisance' to the Nehru-Gandhi family (there were laudatory banners and posters of Nehru, Indira, Rajiv and Sonia) and almost incessant pro-Sonia slogans.

An emotional Jogi underlined in his speech that but for the Congress, he would not have been able to rise to where he is now ("right to the upfront, so much so that I have become Congress spokesman"). He said that under Sonia Gandhi's leadership, as under Nehru, Indira and Rajiv Gandhi, the dalits would be able to make rapid strides. He then went on to heap insults and indignities on the government.

The rally was a success. And it has probably made a recent report about Jogi being replaced as spokesman by Prithviraj Chauhan infructuous.

EARLIER REPORT:
Congress will block change in the Constitution: Sonia

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report