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The Congress wants to show it’s different but it also faces an issue when some of their own speak words that embolden the BJP
Shashi Tharoor, for many Congress leaders, is a habitual offender. But such is his profile that suspending him is an option which is unthinkable. (PTI)
It has been over 24 hours and the Congress is silent on senior leader Shashi Tharoor’s “egg on my face” comment. The silence reveals the dilemma in the party — how to curb the tongue of some of their leaders, yet look democratic and tolerant. After all, Rahul Gandhi and the Grand Old Party keep accusing the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of muzzling dissent.
The irony is that today, Congress is facing dissent of a different kind. Those who remain within the party, show no inclination to leave the Congress. Yet, they want to speak their mind. But each time they have done so, it has left the party squirming and frowning. The interesting part is the pattern. Most of these outspoken leaders of the Congress are also ones who don’t depend on the party for their profile or image. But the Congress is also facing a situation where it’s being forced to maintain a distance. Take recent examples.
Shama Mohamed, despite her clarification and deletion of tweet on Rohit Sharma, more or else stuck to her stand where she explained why she said what she did. Tharoor, for many Congress leaders, is a habitual offender. But such is his profile that suspending him is an option which is unthinkable. Or look at Karti Chidambaram. The Congress in Tamil Nadu had issued a show-cause notice against him in 2015 for some of his comments on state leaders. But it couldn’t deny him the Lok Sabha ticket as he has the potential to win. Or when the party had to distance itself from his comment that there was a “high command culture” in the Congress.
The Congress wants to show it’s different but it also faces an issue when some of their own speak words that embolden the BJP. Balancing party discipline with freedom of speech is getting challenging. As also the BJP’s barb that no one can stand up to the Gandhis and still be a part of the party.
