Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday rejected criticism that his party practiced politics of minoritism but asserted it cannot close its eyes to the discrimination against Muslims and other sections including Dalits.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday rejected criticism that his party practiced politics of minoritism but asserted it cannot close its eyes to the discrimination against Muslims and other sections including Dalits.
He scoffed at the suggestion that Rahul Gandhi's recent visit to Kedarnath temple was an attempt at wooing Hindu votes to counter the perception about being pro-minorities., "It's a personal decision of a person. So why should there be any comment on that decision. I reject your question. There is no such thing as minoritism," Chidambaram told PTI in an interview.
"You are mixing the two issues. Before visiting the Kedarnath temple he said why he visited there. Kedarnath temple was being opened. The Chief Minister invited him to come on the day and I also felt an urge to visit a temple, he added. The former Home Minister asserted that everybody in this country must be equal.
"We have just seen a report a few days ago a young man does not get a job because he is a Muslim. There is also a report that a young girl does not get a housing because she is a Muslim. "If you want to close your eyes to these realities, you can do so but why should the Congress party close its eyes to the stark reality that there is discrimination against Muslims and some other sections also. There is discrimination against Dalits also," he said. Chidambaram was responding to a question about a perception that politics of minoritism by Congress damaged it in the elections.
Speaking on a wide range of issues on party affairs including the possibility of Rahul Gandhi's elevation and Congress being out of power in a large number of states, the senior party leader expressed confidence that Congress will bounce back to power once again as it did on many occasions in past and will get allies when elections come.
When told that Congress seems to be in a tight spot after defeat in Lok Sabha polls and successive defeats in some states, Chidambaram expressed confidence that the party will come out its blues.
"You said the same thing in 1977. In 1977 also you said that when Congress was wiped out in entire north India, but Congress came back in 1980. Do not forget history. Congress today was defeated in an election and we accept that. We accept it. "But, why do you say that Congress can never come back to power? Where was BJP in 1984? It had two MPs and no state government under its control in 1984. It has come to power," he said.
Asked as to who are the national allies of Congress in the new environment, Chidambaram said that one cannot count national allies everyday. "When elections come alliances will be formed, do not assume that Congress party is completely friendless. Friends will come, friends will go. That is the way of politics. But, Congress will find friends and allies when elections are around," he said.
When pointed out that Congress could not come back to power in states like Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar after losing power there once, the Congress leader said that it is because that is the way of politics. "Parties lose and parties win. You wrote us off in Rajasthan, we won. You wrote off us in Maharashtra, we won. Parties will lose and parties will win elections. Why do you assume that the party can never win?" he said.
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