This refers to the editorial “Now walk the talk” (December 21). Speeches of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and General Secretary Digvijay Singh on the first day of party’s plenary session in New Delhi suggest the party has not learnt any lesson from its electoral defeats in Gujarat and recently-held Bihar elections. As matters stand today, people are more concerned about onion prices than the Babri demolition, Gujarat riots, and “Hindu terror”.
Also, given the party’s defeat in the Bihar elections, it is debatable whether “Ms Gandhi and her son Rahul have revived the electoral fortunes of the party”. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has saved the day for the UPA government but the cost has been enormous for the country — for example, the huge loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore and the mess in the Commonwealth Games. Despite securing resignations from Ashok Chavan, A Raja or Suresh Kalmadi the Congress party cannot be exonerated from its accountability. Rahul Gandhi’s view that “Hindu terror” is a bigger threat than Lashker-e-Tayyaba and Digvijay Singh’s tirade against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh raises questions about the party’s approach towards fighting terrorism.
A country being looted by corrupt leaders and bureaucrats and suffering at the hands of cross-border terrorism cannot be misled by the government’s rhetoric and resolutions. Only fruitful action can convince the people.
M C Joshi, Lucknow
