Rahul Gandhi warns Congress against walking into ‘traps’ of BJP

Rahul Gandhi warns Congress against BJP's traps; Khera says Owaisi, BJP, TRS trying to undermine Congress. Gandhi calls for focus on issues relevant to people, urges to not get into traps. Khera rules out any deal with BRS or MIM post-elections.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi warned the party against walking into irrelevant traps of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that are not relevant to the common man or the country, at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting.

Media and Publicity Chairman of the AICC, Pawan Khera said at a press conference here on Sunday that opposition parties, media, civil society and intellectuals run the risk of walking into these traps and shifting their focus away from issues relevant to people and the country, and Mr. Gandhi had precisely warned of such a risk.

He referred to a campaign by a section of the media on how Prime Minister, Narendra Modi had overtaken British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in popularity in a survey by a private agency or a video on social media circles of Karnataka Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah refusing to apply tilak on his forehead, and asked if these were the kinds of traps that the party or the county should not get into. “How is that relevant to unemployed or other sections that suffer,” he asked, adding that Rahul Gandhi was referring to such traps.

“Mr. Gandhi was very clear that Congress was in politics to listen to the voice of Bharat Mata and the actual issues of the people. His comments gave the direction to which the party cadre has been looking for,” he said.

On lifting the cap on reservations for downtrodden sections, he said Mr. Gandhi had made this clear in a public meeting in Kolar, Karnataka in April. “He spoke on the need for a caste census and the share of the downtrodden sections in the nation’s wealth, and the party too had been discussing the issue and this will continue,” Mr. Khera said whether the Congress was under pressure from other parties to enhance reservations.

Terming MIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, a friend of the BJP and the TRS, he said they were all concerned about the rising popularity of Congress in Telangana. “Mr. Owaisi, who has not done any rally in recent years suddenly takes out a rally and holds a meeting. Home Minister, Amit Shah, who was supposed to be in Maharashtra on September 17 lands in Hyderabad. All these indicate how the three parties have come together to undermine the Congress meeting,” he claimed.

Mr. Khera categorically ruled out any deal with the BRS or MIM after the elections in case the party needs their support to form the government. “We don’t need or will not require their support as Congress will win Telangana comfortably,” he argued.