Congress, Opposition still in dark over Rahul Gandhi’s corruption remark against Narendra Modi

A day after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi claimed that he had information about “personal corruption” involving PM Narendra Modi, his party members and other Opposition leaders admitted they remain clueless about what he has up his sleeve.

With Gandhi’s reputation and his party’s demonetisation offensive at stake, many in the Congress appeared nervous about whether their leader would be able to come up with credible charges and document-backed information. One senior Opposition leader said Gandhi should disclose the “information” as soon as the Winter session of Parliament is over.

The Indian Express spoke to several Congress leaders who said — some on condition of anonymity — that they had not been kept in the loop. “He has not shared it with us. I don’t know what it is. Neither have I asked him what the information is nor has he disclosed it to me,” said Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in LS. Asked why Gandhi was shying away from revealing the information outside Parliament, if he is not being allowed to speak in LS, Kharge said, “I have not asked him about that. I have not discussed it with him.” One senior Congress leader said he had asked Gandhi whether he possessed any significant information.

“He told me that he does possess serious stuff,” said the leader. Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and Congress deputy leader in Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma, said Gandhi has not shared any details with them. “Wait till the Parliament gets over,” said another leader.

Non-Congress Opposition leaders said they have not yet raised the subject with Azad or Kharge. “It is for them to tell. We have not asked,” said D Raja, CPI leader. Asked whether Gandhi should reveal the information once the Parliament session is over, Raja said, “It is for him. After all, he is the leader of the largest Opposition party.” CPM’s Sitaram Yechury said Gandhi should disclose the information once the Parliament session is over.
“What he has, we don’t know. Neither have they told us anything nor have we asked. He has got a legitimate point that he wants to share in Parliament… you cannot deny any MP that,” Yechury told The Indian Express.