Rahul pulls up Khurshid, says ‘impotent’ language not appreciated

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday pulled up Union Minister Salman Khurshid for use of the word 'impotent' to describe  the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. He did not "appreciate" the use of such language, Rahul said.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi. PTI

Speaking to reporters before attending a party meeting, Gandhi, in a one liner, said: "I do not appreciate this kind of language."

Senior Ministers Rajiv Shukla and Manish Tewari also sought to distance the Congress party from Khurshid's remarks saying the ruling party did not support the use of such language.

"Congress leaders should not use such language as this is the language of BJP. What Rahul Gandhi said is right," Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla said.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari said: "Congress will only use the language that is appreciated by the people."

At a rally in Farrukhabad, Khurshid's Parliamentary constituency, the External Affairs Minister had said Modi must come clean on his role in the Gujarat violence of 2002.

Demanding that a mere apology (for the Gujarat riots) wouldn't do and that Modi must come clean on his role, Khurshid had said, "If he's not impotent then he did it all willingly... you either did it willingly or you lacked the ability to control it and therefore you're impotent..."

"Maya Kodnani has been sentenced to life... she was in government... lot of police officers were also working closely with him (Modi) who are under trial... who is responsible for it? Is Modi not responsible? if he claims he's not then we say he's incompetent."

This, however, is not the first time that Khurshid's remarks have seen him face opposition from within his own party. In July 2012, Khurshid had said that Rahul was only playing a 'cameo role' as a youth leader and that the 'Congress is directionless'.

In an interview to The Indian Express, Khurshid said that the root of the problems plaguing the Congress was the lack of "ideological direction" from its next generation leader - Rahul Gandhi.

"We need a new ideology to be given by our next generation leader Rahul Gandhi to move forward and to meet contemporary challenges. The fact is that he is undoubtedly and unquestionably the number two leader in the party. Yet he has not taken up the mantle or accepted a functional responsibility. He is so far not willing to accept the number two position."

He was then immediately reprimanded by the party forcing him to issue a clarification. "I, on reflection, feel this (discussion about leadership) is something which we should restrict to within our party forum," he had said.

Rahul appearing to chide the senior minister on his choice of words is now being seen as a generational shift in the Congress, long accused of being out of step with young Indians' views on the political class. In fact, in recent weeks, UPA ministers including Khurshid himself have said they are fully prepared to step aside for a fresh set of faces under Rahul Gandhi's leadership. While Khurshid said ministers of his vintage would have to make way for a younger lot,  Jairam Ramesh said Rahul would introduce a whole new team of young leaders.

Also, with political discourse hitting a new low, only earlier this month Rahul had warned his partymen to be careful of the language they use saying any abuse towards the opposition would not be tolerated.

"It is wrong to make personal attacks on the Opposition," Gandhi told Congress spokespersons during an internal meeting, NDTV had reported. The Congress second-in-command had specifically referred to Mani Shankar Aiyar's 'chaiwala' remark on BJP prime ministerial Narendra Modi on 18 January during the AICC session in New Delhi.

Aiyar had on 18 January mocked Modi's prime ministerial ambitions and said a place will be identified for the Gujarat chief minister to distribute tea at the venue of the AICC session.

"I promise you in the 21st century Narendra Modi will never become the prime minister of the country. But if he wants to distribute tea here, we will find a place for him," Aiyar had said.