To counter BJP’s one-dynasty barb, Congress evokes PV Narasimha Rao after long gap

At long last, PV Narasimha Rao, considered by many to be one of India’s greatest Prime Ministers but who has been airbrushed out of Congress history because of an acrimonious relationship with former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, was feted by the grand old party. 

At the recently held Congress plenary, the party’s political resolution finally remembered the beleaguered PM, who many have credited for opening up India’s economy in 1991.The political resolution said: “The tragic assassination of Rajiv Gandhi was a big blow to the Congress and PV Narasimha Rao was entrusted with the responsibility. As prime minister, he steered the country out of engulfing crisis. The economic reforms of 1991was truly historic and transformed Indian economy.”

Even the foreign plenary resolution acknowledged said: “Narasimha Rao steadfastly pursued a foreign policy that upheld India’s sovereign interest.”

According to a report in Economic Times, the course correction is an attempt to portray the party has one that recognises contribution of every leader. A senior leader said: “The Congress is being attacked by BJP government for being dependent on one dynasty. This assault has to be parried and that is why it is being showcased that Congress had a range of leaders and it is not run by only one dynasty.”

In his speech, Gandhi said he wanted to build a Congress similar to the one in 1947, where any leader could have run the party or the government. Rao’s return is a marked change in the thinking of Congress, who have often been accused of singing paeans to members of the Nehru-Gandhi family while not acknowledging the contribution of the galaxy of leaders who’ve passed through the ranks.

In his book, former union minister Natwar Singh wrote Sonia and Rao had strained relations, Rao even calling Singh to claim that he was ‘insulted’ by her speech about Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination probe in 1991.

He wrote: “That was why Sonia, who was not close to Rao, pointed an accusing finger at the government. Aggrieved about the inordinate delay in the Rajiv's assassination probe, she asked if the investigation related to the killing of a former prime minister was to take so much time, what would be the fate of ordinary citizens who fights for justice?" Thomas says it could not be construed in a simplistic way as a statement against the slow pace of the process of meting out justice. Congress was in power, a broadside from Sonia was indeed a censure of Narasimha Rao.”

Sonia Gandhi even believed that until Rao remained in power, there would be no headway into the probe into Rajiv Gandhi’s death.

Meanwhile, veteran Congress leader Margaret Alva wrote in her book Courage and Commitment: “His body was even not let into the AICC compound. Gun carriage was parked on the pavement outside the gate. Whatever the differences were, he was the PM, he had been Congress president, he was Chief Minister, he was party general secretary. When a man is dead you do not treat him that way.”

Rao it appears, wasn’t thrilled by the continuing dependence on the Nehru-Gandhi family. In Arjun Singh’s autobiography, the leader wrote: "Suddenly, he (Rao)  burst out in anger and virtually yelled out words to the effect that whether it was essential that the Congress Party should be treated like a train where the compartments have to be attached to an engine belonging to the Nehru-Gandhi family or were there other alternatives? I was dumbfounded by Rao's outburst but kept quiet.”