New Delhi: Is a rebellion brewing within the Congress after the party’s poor showing in elections across the country?
On Tuesday, after Congress MP Imran Masood strongly pitched for party general secretary and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as a potential Prime Ministerial candidate, businessman and her husband Robert Vadra said that such expectations and demands naturally arise from different quarters, but the focus at present should remain on pressing issues affecting the country.
Masood’s remarks drew criticism from the BJP, which targeted Priyanka for allegedly not speaking out strongly enough on violence against minorities in Bangladesh.
Speaking exclusively to IANS, Vadra said: “Everyone has their own demands. There are demands from various quarters that Priyanka should come forward. There are also demands that I should enter politics. But right now, the focus should be on the real issues that concern the people of the country.”
When asked about the situation in Bangladesh, he emphasised the need for harmony and unity rather than division.
“I have always said that there should be brotherhood. During my religious visits across the country, I meet people from different faiths, and I have seen that their thinking is the same. Whenever people are in difficulty or when they pray, they remember their God and hope that their problems will ease,” Vadra said.
Shared values across communities should guide public discourse, he stressed.
“Everyone’s prayers and thoughts are similar. I believe that brotherhood should prevail and that there should not be any Hindu-Muslim divide. No one should be involved in such divisive activities. The focus should be on issues like pollution, education and employment. There are several serious challenges facing the country, and attention should be directed towards addressing them,” Vadra told IANS.
“First, we should focus on matters related to our own country. After that, we can look at issues concerning Bangladesh or any other nation,” he said.
Highlighting environmental concerns, Vadra said that major national issues must be debated seriously in Parliament, particularly pollution, which has reached alarming levels in the national capital.
“We are in the national capital, and I am a citizen here. I have seen that pollution has increased beyond limits. A solution must be found to provide relief from pollution,” he said.
If domestic solutions are insufficient, international cooperation should be explored, Vadra suggested.
“If solutions cannot be found domestically, we should seek international help, whether from China or elsewhere, to tackle pollution. Earlier, I used to actively participate in sports activities, but now I avoid going out because of pollution. I also urge people to limit outdoor activities due to the severe air quality,” Vadra added.
Referring to the Winter Session of Parliament, he said that while several issues were discussed, pollution did not receive the attention it deserved.
“Priyanka also wanted to raise the issue of pollution in Parliament. Many issues were discussed during the Winter Session, but not this one. Pollution needs to be addressed urgently,” he said.
