Ashok Gehlot derides Rahul Gandhi's 'depression' barb; 'Do politics with full confidence'

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot on Monday scoffed at ex-Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's barb that senior party leaders slip into depression in the battle against BJP. Speaking to the media, Gehlot opined that there was no question of him getting depressed as he premised his attacks on the basis of truth. Maintaining that he does politics will full confidence, the senior Congress leader said in a lighter vein that his political opponents might get depressed owing to his stringent criticism. 

Ashok Gehlot remarked, "I fight strongly. I talk outspokenly on the basis of truth. I keep on attacking whether it is the situation of the country, why violence is happening and who is responsible. Perhaps, the people whom I attack might be going into depression. There is no question of me slipping into depression because I do politics with full confidence." 

Speaking at the conclusion of the Chintan Shivir a day earlier, Rahul Gandhi contended, " I have no fear. I have not taken one paisa from Bharat Mata and don't fear speaking the truth. I want to tell every worker of Congress that this is our collective fight. All of us are involved in this. I, all our senior leaders, the Congress president- all of us will defeat the organization and ideology of BJP and RSS. Sometimes, our senior leaders and party workers go into depression. This is a normal thing. This battle is not easy. Don't think this battle is easy. No regional party can fight this battle because this is a battle of ideology." 

Congress conducts Chintan Shivar

At the end of the three-day brainstorming session, Congress president Sonia Gandhi made a few specific announcements. To begin with, she revealed that the second phase of the Jan Jagran Abhiyan will commence on June 15 to highlight economic issues such as growing unemployment and intolerable price rise. Moreover, she stated that a Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra will be launched on October 2, i.e Gandhi Jayanti to strengthen the bonds of social harmony and preserve the foundational values of the Constitution.

The Rae Bareli MP also mentioned that a compact task force will be set up in the next two-three days to drive the process of internal reforms with a focus on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. This will cover all aspects of the organization including structure, rules for appointment to party posts, communications and publicity, outreach, finances and election management. In a dampener for the G23, Gandhi divulged that she would chair regular meetings of a smaller group from the CWC and seek their advice.