Press Briefing
Monday, 11th April 2011
Shri Abhishek Singhvi addressed the media
today.
Shri Abhishek Singhvi said today, in a sense;
four out of the five states going to the polls
have completed polling or electioneering. We
have now virtually a closure to electioneering
in Kerala, Tamilnadu and Puducherry and of
course a closure to polling in Assam and,
therefore, one large chunk of the elections is
over and as it gets over, subject to the polling
two days later, the Congress party looks
positively and with a sense of anticipation,
confidence, victory and success in these
important four states out of the five going to
the polls. We know e.g. in Kerala, that the time
for several political parties is over, the
writing is on the wall and the time is up. We
know that Assam is going to vote stability,
governance and a genuine attempt to pull this
North Eastern State away from the marginal pulls
and pressures of security and splinter group
through genuine talks. We also know that the
opposition in Assam is divided, disheartened and
dispirited. In Tamilnadu, despite incumbency,
Tamilnadu and Puducherry, we are confident of
putting our best foot forward in two day’s time
from now and it is believed by one and all that
whatever negativity of incumbency may be there
is, in fact, overcome by association and
formation of broad front with the Congress party
which is why the Congress party is much sought
after, its candidates much sought after, in that
state. So all in all, we stand tall and proud
and expect to show yet again that the Congress
party is the only pan-Indian party with a
significant presence in every nook and corner of
India.
On the reaction of the Congress party on
targeting Shri Rahul Gandhi by calling him ‘Amul
Baby’ by CM of Kerala, Shri Singhvi said we do
not want to dignify such comments with any
detailed response, suffice it to say, that such
kind of comments are an insult to the entire
youth community of India and India which in this
millennium is resurgent because of its youth
power, this comment is an insult to that
resurgence, to that energy, to that momentum and
direction and every party knows that there is no
greater youth icon and symbol in public life in
any other party comparable to Shri Rahul Gandhi
and such a comment betrays the desperation and
the realization of this truth by those persons.
It shows that such persons and such parties are
a few seconds away from becoming history.
Shri Singhvi further said Shri Rahul Gandhi
never made a personal remark. He was talking
about anachronistic principles and approach.
Individually, personally or age was not the
issue. It was what that age or approach
symbolized. Youth power in India is rightly
against principles which may be archaic or
ancient and therefore, it is that impatience of
the youth of India which finds expression in
youth icons like Shri Rahul Gandhi. That should
not be confused with any personal comment or
individual comment.
To another question on the reaction of the
Congress party over the comments of Shri Anna
Hazare appreciating Shri Narendra Modi and
praising the governance of Shri Nitish Kumar,
Shri Singhvi said I do not think it is necessary
for the Congress party to comment on the
comments of an individual about another
individual or party. You really should ask Mr.
Hazare and not us but our stand is and has been
clear that anybody who understands or is
dedicated to the principles and cause of
secularism, cannot in any manner- directly or
indirectly- support, condone or justify the
black events in Gujarat and Mr. Hazare has made
that clear as well in so many words and,
therefore, I don’t think that this issue calls
for further comment.
On the reaction of the Congress party on the
statement of Shri Kapil Sibal on Shri Anna
Hazare, Shri Singhvi further said that period
for acrimony for dispute for pettiness and
bickering should be over. If we have, now after
the last few days, tried to move forward by
looking forward and arrive at some solution, let
us not queer the pitch before that exercise
starts. We have done our bit and bent to our
backwards in every way because we are at the
fore front of the practical steps in the crusade
against corruption. So, I would not like to
comment. Let the committee move forward and
decide these things.
To a question over the statement of Shri
Kumaraswamy on the constitution of the drafting
committee, Shri Singhvi said that is his own
perception. Certainly there are bad apples in
every field but we are not as pessimistic as to
assume that there cannot be good people in every
vocation and unless and until we have that
optimism and unless and until there are people
like, this whole system would not work.
On the question whether the Congress party
considers the credentials of Shri Anna Hazare
are unimpeachably secular, Shri Singhvi said I
do not want to get into unnecessary
controversies. I have made very clear the
Congress party’s consistent stand on Gujarat and
so has in fact Mr. Hazare in further
clarification.
On another question of Shri Karunanidhi becoming
Chief Minister again in relation to the age of
CM of Kerala, Shri Singhvi said we do not think
so far ahead. We do not anticipate issues which
are not live. We are at the moment into a very
hectic election campaign where we are confident
of victory. We will come to all these power
related issues subsequently. Let us be clear,
our focus is one today and we don’t want to be
diverted or digressed from it.
On the reaction of the Congress party over the
remarks of Shri Anna Hazare that the proceedings
of the draft committee should be video graphed,
Shri Singhvi said it is very clear, let not
procedure take the form of substance. I do not
want to single out procedures. Please be clear
that the object of the exercise is to have an
efficacious Act or Bill into an Act. In that
process, please do not put conditions and
pre-conditions which might obstruct the basic
object and secondly such conditions and
pre-conditions, cannot ever be those which will
inhibit candid discussion, those which will
inhibit candor. Transparency should not become a
substitute for artificial or hypocritical
decision-making without candor and therefore,
this balancing is important. This requires
statesmanship and maturity from every
stakeholder.
(Tom Vadakkan)
Secretary, AICC
