In a sudden political development, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Friday called on former Union Minister Sharad Yadav who recently came back into the fold of the RJD, and described him as his "Guru".
Rahul, after meeting Yadav, stated that Opposition parties should come together against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the RSS and hence the meeting discussed the ongoing processes and what should be its framework. On his part, Yadav said Rahul should take over as the Congress president.
The meeting ahead of the Presidential elections has raised several political speculations and equations when major Opposition parties like Congress and TMC itself are not on the same page.
Rahul refused to comment when asked if the Opposition will field a united candidate in the Presidential polls this year. "Opposition parties that are against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Narendra Modi should come together. Discussions are ongoing on how they should come together, what should be framework of it, and that has to be developed," Rahul said addressing the media jointly with Yadav at the latter’s residence.
Describing Yadav as his "guru", Rahul said Yadav was unwell for a long time, and he was happy to see him "fighting fit" now.
"He has taught me a lot about politics," Rahul added. Yadav last month merged his Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) with Lalu Prasad Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
On a query by media as why the electoral mandate was not with the Opposition, Rahul said it was due to the "100 per cent total domination" of the instruments of communication of this country.
Media is 100 per cent controlled, the CBI and the ED suppress conversations, while other institutions "lock the conversations", he alleged. "The loudspeaker is with the government, earlier loudspeaker used to be with the government, with Opposition...Now no party has the loudspeaker, it is only with the BJP and RSS. When truth will hit people's stomach, then this loudspeaker will fail," he said.
The former Congress chief said he agreed with Yadav that the country is in a "very bad state" as "hatred" is being spread and "country is being divided". On whether Rahul should become Congress president, Yadav said, "Why not? Rahul works for the party 24X7 and I think he should become president of party.
The Congress should make him president only then something big can happen."
When Rahul was asked to comment on the issue, he parried the question, saying, "We will see about that." Rahul alongwith his mother and party chief Sonia Gandhi has been in the line of fire with large section of party colleagues due to successive poll debacles and has demanded an immediate organizational overhaul.