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Former Delhi CM says such issues are not relevant to the country; praises Rahul for taking action against Mani Shankar Aiyar for his ‘neech’ remark on Modi.

New Delhi: Strongly defending Rahul Gandhi in the controversy over his religion, former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit said that the Congress spokesperson’s comment that the party vice president was a janeu-dhari or sacred thread-wearing Hindu was a “clarification and not a justification”.

“Are these questions relevant to the country? Are they relevant to a person who’s aspiring to be a leader? What has he gone and done wrong?” Dikshit told ThePrint in an interview.

Rahul Gandhi found himself in the midst of a controversy last fortnight after the BJP claimed that he had signed a register meant for non-Hindus during a visit to the Somnath Temple while campaigning in Gujarat.

“It was a stupid and very, very unfair controversy. It’s like trying to drag somebody into a controversy when there is no controversy,” she said, adding that it is evidence that the BJP is “shaken up”. A clarification was required, she said, because of the attempts to misrepresent the situation.

Throwing her weight behind the Gandhi scion who is set to take over as Congress president, Dikshit said that in electing him to the post, the Congress party has done what it needs to in order to bounce back politically. “We’ve got a president now, something we’ve been waiting for all this time, so let’s see, it’ll work,” she said.

Dikshit also moved away from her comments made earlier this year when she had said in an interview that Rahul was still not mature and should be given (more) time. All sorts of “vicious comments” that were made against Rahul have stopped after his visit to the US in September, she said.

“I’ve not understood why there was this criticism on one extreme. That pappu campaign should not happen. That phase is over. But one can’t predict. Every leader has their ups and downs (sic),” she said.

Dismissing the allegations hurled by Maharashtra Congress functionary Shehzad Poonawala, the three-time chief minister said, “I don’t think we need to pay attention to these things by people who are not even known by ten people. At least I won’t get influenced by them.”

On 29 November, Poonawala had questioned the process to elect the Congress president, calling it “rigged” and demanded Rahul Gandhi’s resignation as the party vice-president.

Dikshit also praised Rahul for taking a tough decision against senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, who set off a political storm when he referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “neech kisam ka aadmi”. “He (Rahul Gandhi) is mature and he has come out as somebody who’s taken action when it’s required like in the case of Mani Shankar Aiyar, and that’s all you require in a leader,” she said, adding that Aiyar’s comment was “completely unwarranted”.

While she placed complete faith in Rahul’s leadership, Dikshit said that Congressmen would continue to seek Sonia Gandhi’s political wisdom and expertise even after her nearly two-decade term as party president comes to an end.

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