“The Make in India is a good initiative. However, the politics surrounding it isn’t good,” Rajasthan’s deputy chief minister and state Congress president Sachin Pilot said on Thursday when questioned by journalist Srinivasan Jain. Pilot was speaking at a session at the Jaipur Literature Festival titled – Democracy, Freedom and the Political Process.
While Pilot applauded the policy and ideation that went behind the Make in India campaign, he took regular jibes at prime minister Narendra Modi and claimed that the PM does not have the same impact as 2014.
“He used to call out for Congress Mukt Bharat (Congress-Free India), but after these four years, he now talks about only the values of Congress. Moreover, after the recent victory of Congress party in three states, their tone has changed,” Pilot said speaking about the BJP’s loss in three states, including Rajasthan, where Congress has managed to wrest power from Modi-Shah combine.
The recent appointment of Priyanka Gandhi as Congress General Secretary was also questioned. Jain asked Pilot that the BJP is alleging that appointment of Priyanka is an indication that Rahul Gandhi as party president has failed. Pilot laughed at the comment and said, “even if after losing three states they are making such comments, then may god help them.”
“I saw prime minister Narendra Modi’s interview recently and something was missing. The NDA is also losing its allies whether it is TDP, Shiv Sena or others,” Pilot said emphasising on the reconfiguring of the political scenario in the country.
Jain challenged Pilot on the grounds that the Congress was also taking on the BJP’s technique to woo voters by portraying party president Rahul Gandhi as Shiv-Bhakt and “Janeu-Dhari” (wearing sacred thread). However, Pilot strongly disagreed and said that such topics are what waste people’s time when more focus should be kept on issues like job-creation for youth and under-employment.
Interestingly, the recent issue of Sabarimala Temple was also debated and it was pointed out that the Congress and BJP were looking to be on the same page in the matter. Pilot claimed that though he personally believes that women should visit any place they want, this particular matter has emotions involved of people living in the immediate vicinity of the temple and that it is their faith.
On being asked about the qualities of Priyanka Gandhi, Pilot said that so far she has worked in just two parliamentary constituencies. In the coming months, the people will see her working style and qualities in the days to come after she takes her post up. Pilot further added, that she has been chosen by Rahul Gandhi and that both Rahul and Priyanka look out for each other.
