Was Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's surprise appearance at the Press Club of India here meticulously pre-plannedIJ Behind the scenes developments suggest so.
A select group of journalists on the Congress beat was tipped off on Thursday night itself that the Congress leader could make some “important announcement” on Friday. The scheduled briefing at the AICC office was also cancelled even as the journalists were informed that Rahul would be reaching the Press Club of India in the afternoon at Ajay Maken's 'Meet the Press' event.
This led news channels to immediately rush their OB Vans to the spot. While Maken was addressing the Press conference, he received a call on his mobile phone. He later announced that Rahul Gandhi was on the line and he (Maken) has invited the leader to come to the Press Club to make the 'announcement' he wants to.
Subsequently, Maken rushed to the main gate of the club to receive Rahul, who after arriving headed straight towards the dais. And from there he aired his 'personal opinion' that the ordinance was a “complete nonsense” and “it should be torn up and thrown away”. Rahul clarified it was not a Press conference and he had arrived just to make an announcement.
But as he readied to leave the venue and started heading towards the main gate, a journalist interrupted him. “This is a good occasion. You should utilise this to air your views on other subjects of importance,” he told Rahul. But the Congress leader replied, “Many good occasions would come in future. I was here with a purpose. I have achieved it.”
Rahul's statement on the issue came just a day after Union Minister Milind Deora and Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh also expressed their reservation towards the bill. Both are considered close to Rahul. Minister of State for HRD Shashi Tharoor said though he was opposed to the Ordinance all along, he had not voiced his opinion publicly as he is not a Cabinet Minister.
He maintained that Gandhi has done the right thing and has given voice to many in the Congress who were privately unhappy. “His doing so has made it clear he would very much like the Government not to proceed with this Ordinance,” the Minister said. BJP leader Meenakshi lekhi, however, saw a design behind Rahul's statement. “Rahul Gandhi's response is under a planned strategy by Congress party and it is an attempt to project Rahul in media on the issue of Ordinance. Congress is like a hydra-headed party which speaks in multiple voices at the same time. It has once again shown that the party is engaging itself in opportunistic politics,” she said.