By way of PTI
NEW DELHI: Former Legislation Minister Ashwani Kumar, who resigned from the Congress on Tuesday in the middle of the election cycle, mentioned the grand previous birthday celebration had misplaced contact with the bottom fact and not mirrored the nationwide temper.
In a no-holds-barred interview to PTI after quitting the Congress, the 69-year-old former Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab mentioned he had reached his limits of perseverance within the birthday celebration, which, he mentioned, lacked inspirational management and is going through an existential problem.
He additionally accused the birthday celebration of failing to reinvent itself regardless of its decline.
Expressing anguish over contemporary controversies over Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’ statue at India Gate and Padma Bhushan award to senior birthday celebration chief Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kumar mentioned those occasions betrayed a narrowness of way now not anticipated of the Congress.
He additionally mentioned the Congress must glance inwards as a substitute of discovering fault with the ones quitting it. Excerpts of the interview.
What induced you to go away the Congress after many years of affiliation with the birthday celebration going again for your father’s days?
Loss of inspirational management, absence of a way of belonging and debilitating processes of interior functioning mixed to make imaginable a painful choice to finish a 46-year-long affiliation with the Congress with which two previous generations of my circle of relatives have been carefully attached all the way through the liberty fight.
Unnecessary controversy round Netaji’s statute and Ghulam Nabi Azad’s nationwide award additionally disillusioned me in up to those betrayed a narrowness of way now not anticipated of the Congress.
As has been mentioned, “Concepts wait upon occasions, which offer them start”.
Absent an inspiring management and captive to its interior compulsions, the birthday celebration has did not reinvent itself regardless of unmistakable indicators of decline over time.
I don’t want to criticise somebody however failings of the ones accountable can’t be brushed apart.
Any particular reason why for quitting the birthday celebration at the moment at the eve of Punjab elections the place you might have been energetic?
In Punjab, the political discourse used to be by no means as low.
The open struggle over the place of job of leader minister confirmed Congress in deficient mild and lowered us all within the procedure.
It confirmed that apart from a couple of other folks no person else used to be related or entitled to recognize.
A bit of Congress veterans used to be very disillusioned on the method Capt Amarinder Singh used to be ousted in Punjab. Has your resignation the rest to do with that factor?
The way by which Capt Amarinder Singh used to be humiliated and compelled to surrender used to be an ominous sign. He deserved higher.
The dismal State of Punjab’s financial system calls for an raising and consensual politics and shunning of slim non-public prejudices.
What’s your long run plan? Are you going to sign up for any birthday celebration?
I’ve now not considered becoming a member of every other political birthday celebration but however intend to stay energetic in pursuit of public and nationwide reasons as perfect as imaginable. What the long run holds can’t be predicted as of late.
What’s your affect of Punjab elections?
Election leads to Punjab will marvel many.
In line with the groundswell of common beef up, I think that AAP will very easily shape the following Executive in Punjab and Bhagwant Mann would be the state’s subsequent leader minister.
Punjab is in a position for a sensational political alternate.
Is your choice to hand over the Congress attached with the aspirations of G 23?
My choice has not anything to do with G23. I used to be by no means part of that grouping.
You’ve gotten labored with many PMs and Congress presidents. What’s other now that a number of leaders are leaving the birthday celebration? Rahul Gandhi says the ones leaving the Congress are fearful of taking at the BJP and that the fewer courageous are unfastened to go away. Your take?
A number of leaders leaving the birthday celebration in fast succession let us know that one thing could be very incorrect with the oldest birthday celebration. It’s higher for the management to appear inwards somewhat than to find fault with those that are forced to go away the birthday celebration.
Do you assume the life of Congress as a countrywide birthday celebration is in peril taking into account handiest the regional avid gamers seem to be ready to problem the ruling BJP. Bengal and Uttar Pradesh are instances in level.
Congress is going through an existentialist problem as a countrywide birthday celebration. The birthday celebration has misplaced contact with the bottom and not displays that nationwide temper. Regional events have stuck the creativeness of the folk, in particular of the adolescence. Congress is nearly a 3 states birthday celebration now.
Regional events may just come in combination at a long run date at the foundation of a minimal commonplace programme however none of them can in my view problem the BJP’s dominant political place within the nation.
Ideological battles want transformative management that may upward push above particular person vanities and aspirations. This isn’t taking place, sadly.
Did you succeed in out to Sonia Gandhi together with your grievances given your shut affiliation along with her over the past a number of years?
Sure, however there’s a prohibit to perseverance. Let me resolution you in verse. “Chup si ho gayin dil ki dhadkane, so gayi kahin saari aahatein, charsoo yahaan sirf khamoshi, ab sadayein dein kya kisi ko hum, waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam. (There’s silence/indifference throughout. Who must I summon to my name. What a tragedy of our occasions).
Is the Congress ready to fulfil aspirations of other folks nationally?
I don’t believe so. I see an extra decline in its relevance as a countrywide birthday celebration sooner or later.