Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, who is making desperate attempts to revive his party post the humiliating debacle in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, on Friday reached out to the party's old guard, describing them as young at heart.
Addressing Congress workers here, Gandhi particularly showered praise on senior Congress leaders Ashok Gehlot (ex-Rajasthan CM) and Tarun Gogoi (Assam CM).
"Gehlot ji represents experience. He has run the government for two terms properly with the Congress' ideology. Gehlot ji represents many experienced people sitting this room. Somebody told me that people above 65 years should not be in politics, I told him that Gogoi ji is sitting (in Assam) and he is of 80 years, but his energy is of 25. There will be no talks here on age, one must be the young from the heart, Gehlot ji is young from the heart, Lalit Modi is an elderly by heart. On one hand, we have experienced people, on the other, we have Sachin Pilot, like me, who has the will power but not the experience," he said.
Gandhi said that he wants a party where even the weakest are heard.
"We want to hear everyone in the Congress Party. And, we believe that there will be some frictions if we hear everybody. I could not understand this say ten years ago. You used to complain against each other, I used to think that this can be brought to an end but it cannot end. I have accepted this and I don't even want to end this now. This is my family whether it is Sachin, Gehlot ji or.you all, this is my family," said Gandhi.
"There will be some fight in this family. I want to give a little voice to everybody whether he may be elder or weak. I want a Congress where even the weakest feels that he is heard by all...We have to move out of the closed doors and interact with the people and embrace them," he added.
Gandhi asked his party men to inculcate some discipline. He added that they may fight among themselves, but must stay united against the enemy.