Change in Cong approach as ‘demonising Modi wrong’ chorus begins in party

Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 23

The Congress’s approach to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to be changing with leaders publicly beginning to say that demonising the PM all the time won’t help.

Congress leader and spokesman Abhishek Singhvi on Friday said he had always maintained that a one-way opposition helped the BJP.

Singhvi’s comments came a day after his Rajya Sabha MP friend Jairam Ramesh said Modi’s governance model is not a complete negative story and people needed to recognise the PM’s work to understand why he was voted back to power.

Echoing Ramesh, Singhvi said, “Always said demonising Modi wrong. Not only is he PM of nation, a one way opposition actually helps him. Acts are always good, bad & indifferent—they must be judged issue wise and not person wise. Certainly, ujjawala scheme is only one amongst other good deeds. Jairamramesh.”

Ramesh had at an event in the capital argued that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance model is not a “complete negative story” and not recognising his work and demonising him all the time is not going to help.

“It is time we recognised PM Modi's work and what he did between 2014 and 2019 due to which he was voted back to power by over 30 per cent of the electorate,” said Ramesh, adding that he was not asking anyone to applaud Modi.

There is a division in the Congress ranks on the party’s response to key issues such as the triple talaq bill, abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of J-K.

A section of the leaders feel that the party is being driven in its responses by a “visceral hatred for Modi”.