At a recent discussion at DlF's Club 5, author Sanjaya Baru, former media advisor to Manmohan Singh, said that the PM’s hands were tied by corrupt lobbies. Karan Bhardwaj reports
There’s a dualism in Manmohan Singh’s honesty. He had passive honesty. He made deals with the devils who were not willing to work,” said author Sanjaya Baru, former media advisor to the Prime Minister Singh, who’s currently under fire for his book The Accidental Prime Minister. The book has stoked several controversies and reads how the Gandhi family undermined the chair of prime minister and took away all the credit for Singh’s achievements. According to author, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi is an uninspiring leader and has failed to enthuse his own party cadre. “I talk to many Congress parliamentarians who say he is not an inspiring leader. As a result, Congress is suffering. The cadre doesn’t feel enthused. In last couple of weeks, Priyanka took over the limelight. leaders believe she has a great potential and can be a better leader than her brother, who doesn’t have leadership qualities. Party will have to come terms with it,” he said while discussing about his book at DlF’s Club 5.
Baru said that the young leader is bolstering his rebellious attitude to improve his image, a similar act done by his grandmother Indira Gandhi in 60s. “I am not surprised when he tears apart ordinance that sought to save convicted lawmakers from immediate disqualification or ask his party to “learn from AAP”. He wants to be seen as rebellious with his folded sleeves, overgrown beard and deep baritone. Indira Gandhi also protested against her party in 60s which propelled her to become the PM. She didn’t become PM because she was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru but because she rebelled against her own party and its terms and conditions set by her father. She was supported by the group of members who were against the syndicates. After Nehru died, she offered herself as an agent of change. Rahul Gandhi is trying to replicate that image. Unfortunately, it’s little late,” said Baru.
The problem with Rahul is that he has lived life of an air, holidaying around the world, treated like a Prince. He has accepted all the comfort of being inheritor of power and at the same time, he wants to be the rebel. “Which image should the people acceptIJ That’s the confusion in political arenas,” he said. Baru, who worked with PM, said his chair was undermined by the Gandhis. He could never claim to his own achievements.
Asked why he didn’t fight elections in 2009 he said, “I asked him the same question but he kept quiet. So I never asked him again.”
In 2004, Baru left a successful career as a journalist to join Singh as his media adviser. Singh and Baru had been close and Baru, a great admirer of the technocrat who had ushered in the 1991 reforms, saw this as an opportunity to help a man he admired lead India down a new path.