#NationalHerald: 3 reasons why playing victim will help Sonia, Rahul
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had, on December 8, said in Puducherry that he "absolutely" saw a "political vendetta" in the National Herald case and that he would answer them in Parliament. However, the Congress MPs created ruckus and forced adjournment of both the houses on December 9 even as the Nehru-Gandhi scion scaled up his diatribe and put the blame at the doorstep of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office. He said: "One hundred per cent political vendetta. Pure political vendetta coming out of the PM's office. It is their way of doing politics... I have full faith in judiciary. We will see at the end what comes out. Truth will come out."
Rahul clearly is indulging in rhetorical politics. Both he and Congress president Sonia Gandhi know full well that BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had filed a complaint in a trial court in the National Herald matter in 2012. At that point in time, Swamy was not a BJP member. He was the president of Janata Party which merged into the BJP just before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Secondly, Congress-led UPA 2 was in power when Swamy had filed the complaint. Third, law is taking its own course and the BJP-led NDA is nowhere associated with the case - the trial court issued summons and the Delhi high court refused to reject a petition by the Gandhis to quash the summons. No Central agency, like the CBI, Enforcement Directorate or Income Tax department, is in any way involved in the case till now.
The questions is: Why is Rahul making such wild allegations?
1. Confidence of cadre
The Congress vice-president is playing the role of a true leader in the battlefront who tries his best to boost the sagging morale of the warriors despite a defeat staring in the face. A demoralised Rahul or Sonia cannot help in instilling confidence in their party leaders and workers. It is their helplessness to fake confidence. They do not any other option but to show aggressiveness. Take RJD supremo Lalu Prasad as an example. Despite going to jail on more occasions than one, getting convicted and debarred from contesting polls, he appears to be one of the most confident leaders in Indian politics. Rahul is doing exactly that and following his Bihar mahagathbandhan alliance partner. He has to ensure that the spirits of the party cadre are high even in such adversity. Several Assembly elections are to be fought in 2016 and Congress will try its best to retain Assam. A demoralised force cannot win the party elections and, hence, the rhetoric.
2. Garner sympathy of voters
One does not know the outcome of the judicial proceedings of December 19 when Sonia and Rahul will appear before the trial court. The top two leaders of the Congress will claim vindication of their stand if they are exonerated by the court. But they will play victim if the court passes some adverse order against them. The stand taken by Sonia and Rahul may not cut ice with all but it will certainly help them woo back a section of voters who have shifted loyalties in the recent past. This section of Congress' erstwhile supporters are being conveyed the message that former prime minister Indira Gandhi's daughter-in-law and grandson are being victimised by the ruling BJP.
3. Paint the judiciary
Rahul is trying to provoke the judiciary by indirectly casting aspersions on it when he alleged that pure vendetta politics is coming out of the PMO. He is trying to club the judiciary with the government and trying to convey that they are hand in glove against him and Sonia. He may attract contempt of court for his outbursts. But he is certainly trying to build a case for himself among the voters that the judiciary acted at the behest of the executive. This will allow him and Sonia to play victim.
Be it stalling of Parliament proceedings or adopting a strident posture, it is the only window open for Sonia, Rahul and their party. They do not have any other choice. They cannot be seen segregating Parliament functioning with judicial proceedings. They will be seen as admitting their alleged wrongdoing in the National Herald case if they do so. The only option left to them is to mix the two. Only this approach can help them in whatever way it can.