Rahul Gandhi can’t Forgo Luxuries While Advocating for ‘Aam Aadmi’ Issues

GG News Bureau

New Delhi, 11^th September. On Sunday, the fifth day of the Congress’s Bharat Jodo Yatra begins in Kerala. The Congress leaders arrived in Parassala, a small town near the border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

According to the Congress, the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ is being held to combat the BJP-led Center’s divisive politics and to educate the people of India about the dangers of economic inequalities, social polarisation, and political centralisation.

All of the party’s MPs, leaders, and workers, as well as Rahul Gandhi, are staying in containers equipped with sleeping quarters, toilets, and air conditioning. The temperature and environment will also change dramatically during the journey. The plans were made with the extreme heat and humidity of the new location in mind.

The goal of this padhyatra is to connect with the common people, so they must descend to their level. However, they are unable to abandon their lavish lifestyles, particularly Rahul Gandhi, the leader of this yatra.

The Congress suffered a humiliation in the earlier this year’s assembly elections, and the Yatra is seen as an attempt to rally the party’s rank and file for the upcoming electoral battles.

Rahul Gandhi has proven to be a political liability for the Congress Party. The party has fared poorly wherever he has campaigned for it.

Congress’ political fortunes have plummeted since his entry into active politics. The same thing is happening right now. He has become embroiled in yet another controversy. Such controversies undermine the party’s intentions with its Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Poverty is Expensive

Sarojini Naidu, a freedom fighter, once stated that keeping MK Gandhi in poverty cost India dearly. Her remark appears to be equally applicable to Rahul Gandhi. Congress appears to have launched a nationwide padyatra in order to develop a connection with the common people. However, the rally has been embroiled in controversy for diametrically opposed reasons. According to reports, the Congress Party is spending heavily to create a false commoner aura around the party’s Yuvraj – Rahul Gandhi.

The BJP, the saffron party, chastised Rahul Gandhi for his hypocrisy. It accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of wearing a $41,000 T-shirt from the British luxury label Burberry. BJP leaders claimed that while the Congress spends lavishly to create a comfortable environment for their Yuvraj, it also claims to fight for the rights and concerns of commoners, portraying its leaders as having no privileges.

It is clear that the Congress Party is doing everything possible to portray its leader, Rahul Gandhi, as an ordinary Indian citizen. To add authenticity, it has been stated that leaders will not stay in luxury hotels or restaurants, but will instead bring 60 containers in which the organizing team of 230 members will be lodged at the end of each day.

It is important to note, however, that these containers are outfitted with all of the luxuries necessary to keep Congress’ leaders comfortable. Although party leaders claim that these 60 containers do not have air conditioning or other luxuries, several media reports claim otherwise.

The Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra is riddled with contradictions

First, the Congress party and its leaders claim to be in it for the long haul on Aam Aadmi issues, but heavy spending on party leaders’ comfort and privileges, as well as their attire, suggests otherwise. Second, if the party believes that containers outfitted with all the luxury amenities are hardships, they may not be entirely wrong. They have been bolstering its political ideology and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s imprisonment. His jail, it appears, was no less than a luxury hotel for commoners.

Previous blunders

On numerous occasions, Congress has been accused of doing the same. There was a famous incident in which Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was waving his torn kurta to give the impression that he is a commoner like any other Indian citizen, rather than a privileged politician. A random citizen apparently generously donated Rs 100 to get the kurta stitched. His Rs 70000 jacket quickly became the talk of the town. The jacket was also from the prestigious Burberry label.

Not only has his attire failed to deliver the intended political message, but his political rallies have had the opposite effect. Rahul Gandhi backed Bhatta Parsaul farmers in 2011. Later, all of the farmers regretted that Rahul Gandhi supported them.

Furthermore, on several occasions, fellow rally goers for family members he had met in person abandoned him to join the BJP.

Congress and its leaders must recognize that such gimmicks do not work in practice. However, if it truly wants to master this trait, i.e. projecting themselves as commoners rather than privileged politicians, it should take a cue from Delhi or Bengal CMs.