A surprise visit that made history

The ordinance of discontent, which some think can destabilise the UPA-2 government, was shred to bits by Rahul Gandhi on the lawns of the Press Club of India here on Friday afternoon, leaving assembled journalists in no doubt that they were witness to history. Mr Gandhi had done nothing less than tear into his own government’s most recent political project which challenges a Supreme Court order and had been elaborately constructed and defended by senior ministers in the face of misgivings. The Gandhi scion swept into the Club in the middle of another event and condemned the ordinance that protects convicted legislators in language whose vehemence proved as newsy as the subject of the Congress vice-president’s ire. Mr Gandhi’s central message was: Compromises that condoned corruption had become a habit with all political parties, including his own. The Press Club had hosted Ajay Maken, a local MP who had made a mark as a young and competent former Union minister, and is now a Congress general secretary and spokesman, for a “Meet the Press” programme. The able spokesman he is, Mr Maken answered pretty tough media questions on the ill-starred ordinance calmly and fluently, defending the government’s decision, questioning the BJP for supporting the ideas contained in the ordinance at an all-party meeting in August but now backing out, and saying that the anti-ordinance views in his own party were the “personal” opinions of a few. And suddenly the ball began to move. Mr Maken abruptly turned to this writer, who was in the Chair in his capacity as the Club president, and asked to be excused to take an important phone call. He then showed the grace to beg leave of the audience and hurriedly left the podium, striding toward the main Club corridor to speak on the mobile. Returning in a minute or two, he mumbled that Rahul Gandhi was on his way and it won’t be appropriate for him to carry on with the question-and-answer session since Mr Gandhi himself would speak to the media. He then turned and broke the news to the journalist audience, who greeted it with excitement and much anticipation as the Congress vice-chief is a bit of a rarity for the media. Naturally, everyone looked forward to grill him on the controversial ordinance. Mr Gandhi trots; he doesn’t walk, exuding energy, and hurry. Businesslike, he slipped into the empty chair without ado. No hullos, greetings, or waves. Rahul grasped the mike and was about to go, just waiting to ask Mr Maken what questions he had taken. “Just hang on, Rahul,” I said. Taken somewhat by surprise, he smiled and said: “OK, I’ll hang on!” I made some formal remarks to welcome Mr Gandhi to the Club though the visit was unscheduled and a total surprise, and recalled an episode concerning his late father’s visit to the Club as PM, which seemed to touch him. But he was in a hurry. He ploughed into his subject. He was emphatic. He sounded like a reformer. He appeared as if ready to battle the tide and take charge. Was he knowingly cocking a snook at the Prime Minister I couldn’t tell. His bombshell observations over, Mr Gandhi rose to leave. But the loud media demand to stay and answer a few questions made him stop. He turned around and took a question or two. Then he was up again, rushing out. He couldn’t have been with us more than fifteen minutes in all. But the excitement and the sensation hung and hung in the air. Was the show stage-managed Hardly. Mr Maken wouldn’t have defended the ordinance with a spokesman’s passion, and the logical detailing of events, had he known that a one-man demolition squad was on its way. From conversations it transpires Rahul wanted to summon Mr Maken who informed him that he was at a media forum. Then Mr Gandhi simply told him that he was coming too. The rest is history.