Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: Hours after saying that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi does not have the temperament to rule, party general secretary Digvijaya Singh on Friday defended the Gandhi scion, saying that he is fighting injustice not chasing power.
After receiving critisism over this remark from party workers, clarifying in Bangalore, Singh later told reporters, "No, I said he (Rahul) is always fighting against injustice and therefore he is not for power. He fights injustice. That is the difference between us and him."
Responding to a query about his statement being perceived as raising question on Gandhi`s leadership quality, Singh said, "No no. It is every one doesn`t hanker after power. Even Mrs Sonia Gandhi... She never took the Prime Ministership, that is difference between the family and others."
"He is aggressive when it comes to fighting injustice," Singh added.
In an interview to a TV news channel yesterday, which was aired today, Digvijaya Singh, who is party in-charge of Goa and often touted as Gandhi`s political guru, said Rahul Gandhi should have taken up the responsibility of leading the Congress in the Lok Sabha and taking on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
"He is by temperament not a ruling person. He is by temperament someone who wants to fight injustice," he had said.
Singh`s statement came at a time when Gandhi has been under attack from several state units for failing to add any punch to the Congress`s election campaign, leading to its worst poll debacle.
The Congress won only 44 seats in the general election, 10 less than the number required to stake its claim to the post of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
Recently, Congress had suspended two state leaders from Rajasthan and Kerala who lambasted Gandhi publicly.
Former Rajasthan legislator Bhanwar Lal Sharma had said Gandhi was the "MD of Congress circus", while former Kerala minister TH Mustafa had demanded Gandhi`s ouster for having landed the Congress in a mess.
Digvijaya Singh was in Goa on a two-day visit to take stock of party affairs and meet state Congress members.
He further said he had suggested to Gandhi that he take up the role of the main opposition leader in the Lok Sabha, a responsibility later given to Karnataka leader Mallikarjun Kharge.
"In a democracy, opposition space is necessary. Since the Congress is the largest opposition group, our Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi should have taken up the responsibility," he had said.
Gandhi, meanwhile, has been holidaying abroad for the last 10 days.
With agency inputs
