Indian Overseas Congress chairperson and technocrat Sam Pitroda spoke to the NewsX and said that both the Yatras of the former party chief Rahul Gandhi has a huge impact across the country and for him the Gandhi scion has always been a credible alternative to anyone for the top post of the Prime ministerial job.
Q: Mr Pitroda, how do you think Rahul Gandhi now presents a credible alternative?
A: Well, Rahul Gandhi, according to me, was always a credible alternative. I would say a credible leader. It is not bad to be an alternative to Modi or anybody else. It is about idea of India. I think this election is not about Modi versus who or Rahul versus who but it is more about what kind of nation you want to build. I don’t know why people are dragging this into personality cult or a conflict.
It is not a presidential election, it is a parliamentary election and the process is you select a MP. Why are we all, especially media, making it look like presidential elections. It’s not fair to our Constitution, voters.
So going back to Bharat Jodo Yatra and Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra, huge impact of both yatras and manifesto is for you to judge. If you believe in India that is democratic and rooted in justice, freedom, equality, the Congress manifesto makes sense. If you don’t believe in these things then you won’t believe in manifesto.
Q: Caste census, unlimited quotas, wealth redistribution plan, the ruling party says this looks more like a communist plan, how do you respond?
A: Why don’t you look at it for lifting people out of poverty, respecting people who have not been respected, not in the mainstream. That’s not leftist and not communist. That’s human. All these labels don’t make sense.
I find in present discourse people including the Prime Minister say all kind of remarks which makes no sense at all. But they get away with it and media gives platform to amplify their voice. It is not fair in a poor country like India not to take care of people who are at the bottom of the pyramid.
I know what it means to poor people. I was also poor at a time. And India gave me an opportunity to get free education. Today if I want to get my masters in physics, it would be very expensive and I would not be able to afford. But India gave me opportunity at no cost. Is that communist? All the IIT graduates who are making millions and are contributing for the country, is it communist?
So we need free education, free health service. Earlier we were not ready. Now we have fair amount of foreign exchange reserve. (TO BE CONTINUED)
