New Delhi: In a strategic huddle with nearly 140 Congress spokespersons and media panelists from across the country, Rahul Gandhi on Thursday asked them to take an aggressive stance during television debates and refrain from falling into what he called the BJP’s “trap.”
According to sources present at the closed-door interaction, Rahul said that Congress representatives should avoid being defensive while presenting the party’s views. “The BJP lacks both facts and historical understanding, which you have in abundance,” he told them, urging spokespersons to rely on data and historical perspective instead of reacting to provocation. “They try to shout you down; you must counter them with facts,” he added.
Without naming anyone, he also warned party panelists against stooping to what he described as the “low level” of some BJP representatives. “You’re facing opponents who are often less informed. Don’t descend to their level—state your points firmly, and if the debate becomes senseless, call it out and move on,” he said.
Gandhi ended the meeting by posing for individual photos with each participant, in what party insiders described as a morale-boosting gesture. The Congress leader also made it clear that the party would not retreat from its position on the caste census, regardless of criticism. He claimed that it was Congress pressure that led the BJP government to announce the exercise. “But the credit for it lies with us—not with them,” he said.
