After Operation Sindoor, ‘Saudagar’ Again In Enterprise In Congress’s Political Parlance – News18
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This begs the query: will ‘Sindoor ka Saudagar’ develop into a ‘Maut ka Saudagar’ redux, harming the Congress within the upcoming Bihar elections and past?
Rahul Gandhi believes the Jaishankar concern must be pursued, with the Sindoor ka Saudagar narrative having his backing. (File pic/PTI)
The 2007 Gujarat election was intensely contested, with Sonia Gandhi, then Congress president, main the cost. Her assaults whereas campaigning towards Narendra Modi, together with the controversial “Maut ka Saudagar” (service provider of loss of life) label, made the battle deeply private. This technique, used towards the backdrop of the 2002 Gujarat riots, backfired, permitting Modi to painting the Congress as weak on terror and solidify his place within the state. Occasion insiders imagine this remark contributed considerably to Modi’s enduring success in Gujarat, fostering Gujarati Asmita (pleasure) and producing sympathy for him. Even Sonia Gandhi’s advisers, like Ahmed Patel, acknowledged the remark’s detrimental influence. Consequently, the Congress in Gujarat shifted away from private assaults on Modi.
Within the present state of affairs, the Congress faces the same state of affairs with Operation Sindoor. The get together, significantly MP Rahul Gandhi, has persistently questioned exterior affairs minister S Jaishankar’s dealing with of the state of affairs, alleging he alerted Pakistan. This has led to the phrase “Sindoor ka Saudagar” (service provider of Sindoor) getting used towards Jaishankar and the Modi authorities. This raises considerations a couple of repeat of the “Maut ka Saudagar” debacle.
Rahul Gandhi believes the Jaishankar concern must be pursued, with the Sindoor ka Saudagar narrative having his backing. This technique stems from the 2014 elections, the place the BJP efficiently painted the UPA authorities and then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as weak on terror. The Congress’s questioning of the 2019 Balakot airstrike towards Pakistan performed into the BJP’s arms, permitting it to accuse the grand outdated get together of disrespecting the armed forces and missing nationalism. This was acknowledged as a misstep by Congress leaders throughout a CWC assembly.
With Jaishankar’s clarifications and his fame as a seasoned diplomat, some throughout the Congress imagine that questioning him, particularly throughout a delicate multi-party delegation go to to Pakistan, was ill-timed. They worry that utilizing phrases like “Sindoor ka Saudagar”, “Mukhbir” (informer), “Jaichand” or “mole” will solely bolster the BJP’s narrative of the Congress questioning the armed forces and missing nationalistic fervour. In addition to, Pakistan might use these statements to bolster its case on the worldwide stage, they are saying.
The BJP is prone to exploit these feedback, doubtlessly harming the Congress and benefiting the saffron get together politically. The state of affairs attracts parallels to Sonia Gandhi’s “Maut ka Saudagar” remark, which stemmed from private resentment towards Modi. Equally, Rahul Gandhi’s robust emotions in the direction of the Prime Minister are evident in his public interactions, mirroring the sooner state of affairs.
Whereas the Congress argues that the BJP disrespects Rahul Gandhi, the ruling get together persistently outmanoeuvres it on nationalism and diplomacy. Any misstep by the Congress, significantly concerning the BJP or the Prime Minister, might be detrimental. This begs the query: will “Sindoor ka Saudagar” develop into a “Maut ka Saudagar” redux, harming the Congress within the upcoming Bihar elections and past?
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