New Delhi : Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi is the most active and accessible leader, senior party leader Jairam Ramesh said on Tuesday.
In an interview with ‘India Today’ channel, Ramesh said Gandhi’s sense of values is far superior to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “who has a remarkable ability to twist facts”.
He also hoped that Gandhi’s much-anticipated elevation as party chief will happen soon.
“He is our most active and visible leader. I expect his elevation (as Congress President) soon,” said Ramesh, who has just come out with his book ‘Old History, New Geography: Bifurcating Andhra Pradesh’.
Ramesh said: “Democratic decision-making, allowing people to function, empowering different people to express themselves… I have seen him (to be) accessible. He puts people into positions of authority. He believes in institutional processes.”
“He has an individual style of decision-making. He is deeply committed to India’s secular values. And I don’t think there is difference between what he says, what he believes and what he does,” the Congress leader added.
Ramesh admitted the present times were one of the lowest points in the 130-year-old party’s history. He said the party took a series of political decisions, some of which worked out and some didn’t.
Asked about Congress alliance with other parties, Ramesh said: “There needs to be a coalition. But you can’t just have blind anti-Congressism; it’s not good for Indian politics. Blind anti-BJPism may not also be the solution. You need programmatic unity, you need forces to come together on the basis of certain unity of programmes and thoughts, not just to defeat somebody.”
As for the appointment of Kamal Nath as party incharge for Punjab, he said: “I agree that the 1984 anti-Sikh riots is a blot on the Congress, but there is no evidence (of involvement) against Kamal Nath.”