‘Our arrogance has to go’: Jairam Ramesh’s message to Congress on Delhi poll debacle

New Delhi: Jairam Ramesh, reacting to Congress drubbing in Delhi Assembly elections, stated in no uncertain terms today that the party needs to shed its ‘elitist mindset’ and must try to ‘ruthlessly’ reinvent itself for staying relevant in the elections.

Digging further into the reasons for poll debacle, Ramesh said, “Our arrogance has to go, even after six years out of power sometimes, some of us behave as if we are still ministers.”

Days back, another senior party eader Veerappa Moily had called for “surgical” action to revive the party in the context of the election drubbing.

Speaking on leaderhip issue in the party, Ramesh said local level leaders have to be encouraged and nurtured, adding that they have to be given freedom and autonomy.

“The substance and style of our leadership has to change. We are virtually non-existent in Bihar, we are almost extinct in UP but we are strong in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Haryana we have come back,” Ramesh said.

Congress leader also came heavily on Home Minister for ‘communalising’ the election campaign, saying that the results show clear rejection of BJP’s campaign strategy and tactics.

‘Congress rout, an unmitigated disaster like coronavirus’

Ramesh alleged that the BJP utilised the anti-CAA protests at its epicentre in Shaheen Bagh to “polarise” votes.

“In the short run BJP has not won but the result is a disaster for the Congress party also.

“It is an unmitigated disaster like coronavirus for the Congress,” he said.

The Congress drew a blank while the BJP bagged 8 seats. The AAP scored a landslide victory bagging 62 seats. He claimed that the Delhi election result was rejection of Union Home Minister Amit Shah”s style of politics.

“It is a resounding slap on his face and it is a rejection of the language used in the campaign, tactics used in the campaign,” Ramesh said.

‘Congress must fight minority propaganda,’ says Ramesh

He said that he is worried about propaganda that Congress is soft on minority communalism.

Ramesh said the party “cannot be selective” on the issue and suggested it should target the Popular Front of India (PFI)-type of communalism also.

The PFI or Jamaat-e-Islami type of communalism was as dangerous to India as “RSS type of communalism,” he said.”

Speaking on minority communalism, he said: “Congress have to be very clear. We should not be pandering to any religious sentiment of anybody and that is real secularism.”

“Real secularism is fighting communalism of all types with aggression.” Ramesh said the Congress has to be bold and aggressive against all forms of communalism.