Whether it is a problem associated with familiarity of the language or his very own Congress party itself, doesn’t become too clear.
In the span of his short career which started in 2004, Rahul Gandhi has delivered quite big bumpers which stumped us away. Though it is good to speak one’s mind, the words should be chosen carefully. This has been one area where our dear Rahul has constantly been lacking.
Sometimes he appears as a person who is very high on the order of thinking (which is rare and needs deep analysis of his statements, keeping aside all the bias). Most of the times he just appears to be a ‘special’ child who needs ‘special’ care. Whether it is a problem associated with familiarity of the language or his very own Congress party itself doesn’t become too clear.
Leaving that for the readers to decide, we present some of the ‘real gem’ bloopers:
• “It is very difficult to stop every single terror attack. We will stop 99% terror attacks but 1 % of attacks might get through.” (On Mumbai 2011 blasts)
• ”People call us an elephant.. We are not an elephant.. we are a beehive.. it’s funny but think about it. Which is more powerful? an elephant or a beehive?” (While addressing CII annual general meeting)
• “Poverty is just a state of mind. It does not mean scarcity of food, money or material things. If one possesses self-confidence then we can overcome poverty.” (function organised by the Dalit Resource Centre at the Gobind Ballabh Pant Social Science Institute)
• “It (Congress) is a funny party. It is the largest political organization in the world but perhaps does not have a single rule or regulation. We create new rules every two minutes and then dump them. Nobody knows the rules in the party” (Soon after being appointed party’s vice-president)
• “If India is a computer, Congress is its default programme.” (While addressing hundreds of NSUI and youth congress members)
• “India is going to be the 21st century’s Saudi Arabia in terms of human resources” (As told to the Ambassadors of Europe, later to media)
• “Although there was evidence of some support for Laskar-e-Taiba among certain elements in India’s indigenous Muslim community, the bigger threat may be the growth of radicalised Hindu groups, which create religious tensions and political confrontations with the Muslim community.” (Source: Wikileaks; According to an August 2009 cable sent by US Ambassador Timothy Roemer, Gandhi, in a casual conversation at a luncheon hosted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, made this comparison between Islamist and Hindutva radical groups.)
• “Politics is everywhere.. it is in your shirt.. in your pants.. everywhere.” (While addressing youth in West Bengal)
• “Seven out of 10 youths in Punjab have a drug problem.” (Speaking to college students in Punjab, rally organized by NSUI)
• “All the public systems – administration, justice, education and political are designed to keep people with knowledge out. Such a system promotes mediocrity.” (Address to fellow party men)
• Dalit community ‘needs the escape velocity of Jupiter’ to achieve success. (Addressing Dalit community at Vigyan Bhavan)
• “My opinion of the ordinance is that it’s complete nonsense and that it should be torn up and thrown out.” (after crashing Ajay Maken’s press meet, on the ordinance passed by his government slated to negate SC’s historic judgment on immediate disqualification of lawmakers)
• “My mother (Congress President Sonia Gandhi) told me the words I used were wrong. In hindsight, may be the words I used were strong but the sentiment was not wrong. I am young….” (After his ordinance blooper, another blooper to cover it)
