Congress Party played down its leader AK Antony’s comment on minority appeasement. Later, Congress leader Manish Tewari gave an explanation saying that the party does not indulge in minority appeasement. Let me remind Mr. Tewari that, some of the Congressmen are totally in favour of minorities; both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi treated the majority as 2nd class citizens in their own country. This is the main reason, why the Congress & all its allies (both open & secret allies) were decimated in the parliamentary election and this will be continued because voters are looking for concrete results through good governance, honesty and effective leadership. Secularism which was being practiced by Congress leadership and its allies was not effective and passed by. People say follow any ‘ism’ but don’t play with the emotion of the voters to remain in power. We are witness to Maharashtra government’s recent decision of quotas for Marathas and Muslims. Congress led Democratic Front government is ruling in Maharashtra from last 15 years. However, since assembly elections are round the corner, they have thought of this quota. Similarly, Sonia Gandhi asked Shahi Imam to plead their community people and prevent division of Muslim votes. Mrs. Gandhi and her party had enough time of 10 years to stop such a division. Congress have to come out of its secular, socialist mind set and find ways to govern 125 crore people of this country in better ways. As a politician, Antony has said the right thing. Congress must come out of vote-bank politics and work for all. Minority appeasement must stop. This time even the minority community abandoned Congress as they were also fed up with the words coined out by many Congressmen for their votes. There is no need for Congress to harp on the minority card. Their rights have been protected and guaranteed in the constitution. You just be the upholder of the Constitution and need not necessary go on making noise to get vote. Country needs development and prosperity of its citizens. When Congress was in power, they did what they wanted to do, but at the time of elections, they thought of minorities and their reservations. India is yet not poor but these politicians made it poorer than it was. Congress should stop thinking negative and through positive approach they can achieve many things. They should think of the well being of the citizens, make them happy, create peaceful environment and uphold the prosperity of the country and make every Indian proud.
The comments of A K Antony, who is a seasoned, educated, non corrupt, simple living & most valued politician from a politically matured state like Kerala deserves best attention by Congressmen. Yes, when Manmohan Singh said Muslims have the first priority over National assets in India; it was the final nail on the coffin. How can a senior most party man like then Prime Minister utter words of such favoritisms and appeasement statements? This hurt the sentiments of even the most secularists and we all know the end result. Congress was buried with few seats. It is Manmohan Singh who did maximum damage to Congress. Antony said that the voters are worried about whether the Congress can actually deliver social justice and equality when it indulges in minority appeasement. He had said that such an image of the party in Kerala was giving rise to communal parties and groups in the state.
Nowadays, politicians are giving their own opinion and statements to media and media to gain TRP, twists their statement or plays foul. If we look back, it is not only education but lack of ‘general knowledge’ is also there in our leaders. Antony should have first discussed his views within the party forums, instead of going public. The habit of putting their personal opinion before media had cost the INC dearly in the recent elections. It is like a bitter pill that cures the disease but is hard to swallow. The dictatorship of the Gandhi dynasty has definitely laid the Congress party low as the election results have shown. The courage Antony has shown in making the statement arises out of this fact. Maybe, this development is good both for the Congress party and the country.
The reason why Congress is still a party is that, there are still large factions in the society who vote for Congress. This time a large majority, largely first time voters, don’t care much about religion, are educated, and are just looking for jobs/opportunities. They want a life unhindered by government and unburdened by their stupid, appeasement political policies, which are in dire need of a level and smooth playground voted for BJP. Majority of Congress party leaders understood that, but they are not yelling it aloud because they know that Congress without the Gandhi clan, will be in more pathetic state. Reality in Kerala is different than elsewhere in the country, as we have seen in the recent general elections. Mr. Antony has triggered a debate at a time when he has been asked, with the help of three others, to head a committee to conduct an introspection exercise to pinpoint the reasons for the Congress’s electoral debacle and find a way to restore the morale and strength of its members. This is not the first time that Mr. Antony has made such a remark: in July 2003, senior party leader K. Karunakaran had demanded that Mr. Antony, then the Kerala Chief Minister, withdraw a controversial statement he had made on minorities, similar to the one he made on Friday.
