Days after facing severe backlash and severe criticism over Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s comments on Kumbh, party leader Rahul Gandhi is expected to take the holy dip at the Mahakumbh next week.
The move was confirmed by Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai.
“Neither Kumbh nor Prayagraj (Allahabad) is new for the Nehru-Gandhi family. It is the place of their origin and their ancestral homes are located there. Anand Bhavan and Swaraj Bhavan are still there. The Sangam is also not new to them. Obviously, they all will visit the Kumbh next week and take the bath,” Rai said.
It is understood that other top leaders of the party, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, are expected to accompany Rahul on the Prayagraj visit.
By sending a delegation of its top leaders to Mahakumbh, Congress is trying to course correct and reach out to the majority Hindu community. The visit will be showcased by the party as reinforcing the Nehru-Gandhi family’s strong Hindu roots.
Tehelka.com had on Friday reported that a realisation seems to have dawned on the Congress, that Kharge’s controversial comments on Kumbh were hurting the party’s prospects.
Hence, the grand old party was sending its top most leaders from various states to take the holy dip in Prayagraj.
Over the past few days, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivkumar, former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Digvijaya Singh and former chief minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot from and many others have frequented the holy festivities in Mahakumbh.
A few days ago, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had put his party leaders and INDI bloc in a bind.
“Don’t fall into the trap of false promises of (Narendra) Modi. Is poverty ended by taking a dip in the Ganga? Does it fill your stomach? I don’t want to question anyone’s ‘aastha (faith)’. If anyone feels bad, I apologise,” Kharge had said.
The Congress chief’s statement was seen as a lack of coordination and clarity on important political subjects between various alliance partners of the INDI bloc.
The Congress chief’s comments also highlight the total disconnect that the top leadership of the grand old party has with the grassroots.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has bern attacking Kharge, while attempting to reinforce the perception being built that the grand old party was anti majority community and was only interested in appeasing minorities.
