New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday (October 9, 2022) dismissed claims that the next party president would be "remote-controlled" by his family and said that both contenders - Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor - are people of stature and understanding. Replying to queries at a press conference in Karnataka's Turuvekere on the 31st day of his "Bharat Jodo Yatra", the former Congress chief said that it was "insulting" to make such a suggestion.


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"Both the people who are standing (in the polls) have a position, have a perspective, and are people of stature and people of understanding. I don't think either of them is going to be a remote-control (chief) and frankly, this tone is insulting to both of them," he said.


Asked why he did not contest the upcoming polls, Gandhi said his reasons are mentioned in the resignation letter that he gave while quitting the party chief's post in 2019.



Elections for the Congress president's post are scheduled to be held on October 17 and the results will be announced on October 19.


Bharat Jodo Yatra has been a wonderful learning experience


At the press conference, Rahul Gandhi also said that the "Bharat Jodo Yatra" has been a wonderful learning experience for him. He added that lakhs of people have joined the march as they are tired of the type of politics being done under the BJP and the prevailing unemployment, price rise and economic inequality.


"I believe in Tapasya, have always been. That is my nature and that has been my family's nature. I wanted an element of suffering for myself. I didn't want communication with people to be easy. So I thought what would be something that would make me suffer so that while I talk to my people I can share in their suffering," he said.



"They speak more clearly because they say he is walking on the road... For me, it has been a learning experience. Frankly, it hasn't even begun yet," Gandhi said.


Gandhi said the yatra's objective was to bring India together and was not aimed at the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.


"India is being divided, violence is being spread into our society, and this is damaging for our country," he said.


Gandhi said the yatra is aimed at raising three issues - "violence and hatred the BJP-RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) are spreading, the massive concentration of wealth being allowed which is destroying India's economy and resulting in unemployment; and massive and continuous increase in inflation".



"There is a political element to it (yatra) but for me the main purpose of this yatra, I see in the political system a distance that has developed between the political class and our citizens. The idea for me was to go right on the road and go close physically to our people," he added.


(With agency inputs)