24 hours after Rahul Gandhi’s op-ed criticizing corporate culture, the Leader of Opposition clarified his remarks in Lok Sabha, emphasizing his pro-business stance.
“I am pro-Jobs, Business, -Innovation, Competition. I am anti-Monopoly. Our economy will thrive when there is free and fair space for all businesses,
” Gandhi said after facing criticism over his column.
BJP leaders, including Diya Kumari and Jyotiraditya Scindia, criticized Rahul Gandhi’s attack on the royal families. He emphasized his pro-Business stance as a counter to the criticisms.
Rahul Gandhi clarified his remarks due to discomfort among Maha Vikas Aghadi allies, not to reach out to BJP.
Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the corporate sector caused discomfort among MVA allies like NCP and Shiv Sena, risking alliance unity.
Despite his clarification, concerns persist about how it affects the Congress-MVA narrative, especially after criticizing the Modi government’s industrial shift to Gujarat. Advocating a Business approach might help alleviate some concerns.
In Maharashtra, where the private sector is influential, allies fear alienating this key vote bank, sources said.
There was also uneasiness among the governments in Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh, which are looking at more investments by the private sector.
The whole perception of Rahul Gandhi and the core team running NGO-style politics has ended up hurting the Congress party very often in the past.
Leaders like Kamal Nath and Amarinder Singh struggle to maintain private sector trust due to past critical comments. Emphasizing a clear Pro-Business strategy could rebuild some of this trust.
One of the main issues faced by several Congress leaders regarding Rahul Gandhi’s tactics for the 2019 and 2024 elections was the backlash resulting from his continuous criticism of the private sector and the Prime Minister.
This backlash intertwined with the emergence of the G 23 group.
Anand Sharma told senior Congress members that the political strategy and campaign failed to resonate as planned.
Critics frequently point out that Rahul Gandhi and his team differ from Sonia Gandhi in their approach, favoring a Left-leaning NGO-style of governance.
This perception only ends up hurting the Congress.
INDIA Bloc Allies Concerned Over Rahul Gandhi’s Anti-Corporate Remarks, Warned of Impact on Economic Growth
Many INDIA bloc allies feel that the Congress is ruining the private sector. They prefer a Pro-Business approach to ensure economic growth.
They know that development and infrastructure facilities in states can only come if there is more private sector investment. Attacking the private sector and raising questions against them is something which could hurt the prospects of the INDIA bloc.
Congress can’t afford to appear anti-corporate as India pursues self-reliance with Modi’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
What Rahul Gandhi Said “The Company choked India by partnering with, bribing, and threatening more pliant maharajas and nawabs,” he pointed out.
“It controlled our banking, bureaucratic, and information networks.
We didn’t lose our freedom to another nation; we lost it to a monopolistic corporation that ran a coercive apparatus,” he said.
“The original East India Company wound up over 150 years ago, but the raw fear it then generated is back,
“A new breed of monopolists has taken its place, amassing colossal wealth, even as India has become far more unequal and unfair for everybody else,”
“Our institutions no longer belong to our people, they do the bidding of monopolists.
Lakhs of businesses have been decimated and India is unable to generate jobs for her youth,”
the Congress MP said.
