Rahul more intellectual, better strategist than Rajiv Gandhi, says Sam Pitroda
File image of Congress senior leader Sam Pitroda. Photograph:( PTI )
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Their fundamentals are clear, both are "custodians of the idea of India" that the Congress party had laid out and every leader of the party believed in, he said.
Their fundamentals are clear, both are "custodians of the idea of India" that the Congress party had laid out and every leader of the party believed in, he said.
Rahul Gandhi is more intellectual and more of a strategist as compared with his father Rajiv Gandhi, said long-time Gandhi family confidant Sam Pitroda, while describing both leaders as "custodians of the idea of India". In an interview with PTI, Pitroda also asserted that the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has all the qualities of a future prime minister.
Pitroda, the chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, dismissed as "bogus" the BJP's attack on Rahul Gandhi in the past over his remarks critical of the government during his visits abroad.
Rahul Gandhi's upcoming US visit
Speaking about Gandhi's upcoming visit to the US next week, Pitroda said he is not coming to the US in his official capacity but will have a chance to interact with a variety of people on Capitol Hill at an "individual level".
"He (Gandhi) will definitely have interactions with the press at the national press club, he will meet with the think tank people, and will also have interaction at Georgetown University, which is equally important in Washington DC," the Indian Overseas Congress chief said of Gandhi's first visit to the US since assuming the mantle of the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
Gandhi will visit the US from September 8 to 10 during which he will hold numerous interactions in Washington DC and Dallas, including at the University of Georgetown and the University of Texas.
'Rahul is more intellectual than Rajiv Gandhi'
Asked about similarities and divergences between former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Pitroda said he had worked with a number of prime ministers closely, such as Rajiv Gandhi, PV Narasimha Rao, Manmohan Singh, VP Singh, Chandra Sekhar, and HD Deve Gowda.
"I had an opportunity to see many prime ministers from very close quarters but the difference between Rahul and Rajiv maybe is that Rahul is much more intellectual, and thinker, Rajiv was a little more doer. They have the same DNA, they have the same concerns and feelings for the people, they genuinely believe in building a better India for everybody, and they are genuinely simple people. They don't have big personal needs," the Congress leader told PTI from Chicago.
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"Rahul is a strategist more so than Rajiv was. They are products of different times, different tools, and different experiences. Poor Rahul has gone through two big shocks in life, (death of) his grandmother and his father. So they have had different paths to travel," he said.
Their fundamentals are clear, both are "custodians of the idea of India" that the Congress party had laid out and every leader of the party believed in, he said.
On whether he sees Rahul Gandhi as a future PM, Pitroda said that is for the people to decide.
"From my personal experience and I may be biased, I think he is very capable. He is a decent human being, he is well educated, he has the right DNA and I see him as the custodian of the idea of democracy that the Congress has always promoted," he said.
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