Read on Twitter
I think this is an important debate. So, I want to chip in. I have seen a lot of people make arguments that Rahul Gandhi has been brave to speak truth to the people. He puts principles above politics. Here is my counterargument: 1/n https://twitter.com/ShashiTharoor/status/1315582950369443842
Even on principles, Rahul Gandhi should not have said "many Indians". He should have said "many of us Indians". This is an important distinction. RaGa is essentially playing blame game with the people. He is good, people are bad. No, he should implicate himself. 2/n
He should implicate himself because a) it makes for good politics, but more importantly, b) given his party's extended run at the helm, he is the last one to avoid the blame. Another funny argument I have heard is that RaGa is the only one making such brave interventions. 3/n
Nonsense. Whether you like Narendra Modi or not, he has raised important issues of open defecation, sex-selective abortions, etc. from his bully pulpit. Those don't become controversial because they are articulated from within, not like an outsider blaming the people. 4/n
For instance, in one of his Red Fort speeches, Modi said talking of rapes, "we often ask our daughters too many questions, do WE as parents ever ask those questions of our sons?" Please spare me the BS that RaGa is a brave politician, he is just clueless in articulation. 5/n
I saw someone say that Rahul Gandhi's argument would have been fine if he was an activist or analyst. The problem is that he is a politician. His track record in politics is dismal, so he is welcome to become an activist or an analyst by leaving politics. 6/n
The truth is that just like he has failed at politics, he is unlikely to become a rigorous analyst or a hardworking activist. Today, he is in a comfortable zone: writing fiery tweets with vocabulary borrowed from activists and analysts, and facing zero accountability. 7/n
Rahul Gandhi is not uniquely brave or principled as a politician. Congress is in power in multiple states like Maharashtra and Punjab. Which social issues has he championed in those states? What success did he achieve? What is the status of women,Dalits, minorities in Amethi? 8/n
So, this tweet only proves to me what I know: He is an opportunist -- very much like his rivals-- who pretends to be a very principled politician, but who never champions any social initiative on a large scale when in power. He is an outsider interested in playing blame game. 9/9
