Rahul Gandhi Uses Skits At Congress Camp To Mock Ticket Lobbying And Infighting, Calls For 'Tapasya' Over 'Puja'

Jaipur: In the 10-day training camp for Congress district presidents that concluded on Monday at Pushkar, Ajmer, Congress top leader Rahul Gandhi took a jibe at the party's internal infighting and the culture of leaders lobbying for election tickets. By having the leaders enact skits, he underscored these issues and called to stop such practices.

Rahul says Congress needs tapasya, BJP does puja

Rahul Gandhi said, "The Congress advocates for “tapasya” whereas the BJP prioritizes “puja”. The BJP engages in a brand of politics aimed solely at grabbing public attention; the Congress, however, must commit itself to tapasya."

To show the practice of lobbying for election candidature in the party, Rahul Gandhi asked Congress State President Govind Singh Dotasara and other leaders to enact a skit where Dotasra, stood in the *Ashirwad Mudra* (posture of giving blessings) and several district presidents were asked to stand before the party president with folded hands, and one of them was asked to "Perform the Kanak Dandavat (prostration).”

No one votes for leaders who stoop to such levels

Rahul Gandhi remarked, "This is precisely how leaders go around lobbying for election tickets. Would anyone actually vote for individuals who stoop to such levels? Therefore, we must distance ourselves from this culture of leaders lobbying for tickets and instead go out to connect directly with the public.”

Rahul Gandhi also used a theatrical demonstration involving the leaders to illustrate the internal infighting prevalent within the Congress party. He asked one of the leaders to pull party president Dotasra's chair away and remarked, “Isn't that exactly how things work here? This constant jostling for position is what goes on.”

Culture of puja and parikrama must be eradicated

Rahul Gandhi concluded by telling the leaders, “From the allocation of tickets to every other aspect of the party, we must eradicate this culture of *puja* and *parikrama* (flattery and sycophancy).”

Asking the district presidents to raise their voices against injustice, the leader of oppression said that if any injustice is ever inflicted upon Dalits, minorities, the poor, or even animals within their respective districts, the district presidents must raise their voices against such oppression and should also register their protest against religious and caste-based violence.

The 10-day residential training camp was organized for the newly elected district presidents of Rajasthan and Delhi, where they were trained to run the organization and strategize the election campaigns.