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[kbd-raaf]

I wonder what happened to the poor kid that slapped him.

Hope he hasn't been chucked in jail or something.

 

[Roybot]

I think Fsayed just made another id, furkan syed, could have been a bit creative with the second id!

Meanwhile,

It was meant to be an attempt to propel Rahul Gandhi into the league reserved for the Congress party's senior-most leadership. It was also meant to shatter his image of reticence and present him in the avatar of a man in charge of his destiny. The party chose a one-on-one interview to make that change apparent. But the attempt backfired terribly, so much so that many within the party believe it may have harmed the Congress vice-president's image irreparably, and that it gave the impression that he doesn't have it in him to lead the nation.

The Congress vice-president sweated throughout the interview, gave vague answers and looked left and right for succour. He came out uncertain of issues and re-introduced the ghosts of 1984 in an age where constituents have limited appeal or recall of the issue.

No blame game

Sources within the party said that Rahul feels that he cannot be blamed for every issue from the past. But, his inability to simply say 'sorry' allowed BJP the space to equate 2002 with 1984 and opening the Congress to the charge of openly rioting against the Sikhs.

But how did this PR disaster happen? It was an operation in which very few people were involved. Top Congress leaders including senior ministers weren't in the loop. His sister Priyanka Gandhi and mother Sonia Gandhi closely monitored the exercise. Rahul's closest confidantes, war room specialists, a few MPs and one minister, and the OSD of a senior minister were involved.
Congress debate

Sources said that the debate in the inner circle raged for days as to who should get to interview Rahul Gandhi first. It boiled down to two anchors from rival television channels. Ultimately, an old hand in Rahul Gandhi's team was able to convince Priyanka Gandhi and others to choose the one seen the most and perceived to be neutral as well. What followed is now well-recorded. In an interview that lasted about an hour and half, Rahul failed to answer questions pointedly and often came across as vague or preachy, even though a potential question-bomb in the shape of Robert Vadra went unasked.

Many senior Congress leaders are now questioning why Rahul Gandhi did not do proper home work before the interview. Sources said that initially Rahul and his family were given feedback that the interview went very well and he had come out like a hero. But as independent feedback poured in, the family realised the horror of the situation. Such was the shock that an interview of another leading channel was cancelled at the last minute.

Sources said that even the Prime Minister was disappointed with the exercise, even critical of the way it was handled by the team involved. Sources also said that the PMO too had been left out of the entire plan. The Congress communications head Ajay Maken's phone remained unavailable for 24 hours after the interview. His media team fell short of words to explain what happened. The exercise to open up Rahul Gandhi to the world also showed the economy of information from Rahul Gandhi's own office, which is seen as feudal and secretive in nature. Meeting Rahul Gandhi becomes an act of espionage and subterfuge. One can only listen but not publish a word, a standard practice followed by his office for the past 10 years.

Flawed strategy
Though it has been decided that this media outreach programme wouldn't be abandoned mid-way and Rahul Gandhi would continue to engage with the media, analysts say fundamentally the strategy is flawed. The real deal for Rahul would be to prove himself all over again in front of aggressive anchors that he has it in him to lead the party inits toughest hour

The missed opportunity

Rahul Gandhi's recent sit-down interview on TV might have caused more problems for his own image and the Congress than it set out to solve. His admission that "some Congressmen were probably involved" in the anti-Sikh violence of 1984, that followed his grandmother's assassination, has put the Congress on the backfoot. Rival political parties were quick to keep the party there. BJP MLAs staged a protest followed by a demonstration by Sikh groups outside 24 Akbar Road the next day.

After harping on the "framework on anticorruption" in his speeches, Rahul came out looking like a shifty politician when asked about the specifics of what he would do in matters concerning former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and current Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, both Congressmen. He gave the standard law-would-takeits-course reply. The Congress was hoping to give it back to the opposition on corruption charges in the coming days. The original plan was to launch the attack as soon as there is any forward movement on the six pending Bills against corruption in Parliament session next week, which Rahul has been showcasing as the party's multi-pronged approach to combat corruption.

Appearing in a TV interview nearly after a decade, Rahul failed to avail the opportunity to show that his vision for India is not just a bundle of abstract ideas.



Read more at: Unfolding Rahul Gandhi's PR debacle saga: The inside story : North, News - India Today

 

[Roybot]

Many senior Congress leaders are now questioning why Rahul Gandhi did not do proper home work before the interview. Sources said that initially Rahul and his family were given feedback that the interview went very well and he had come out like a hero. But as independent feedback poured in, the family realised the horror of the situation. Such was the shock that an interview of another leading channel was cancelled at the last minute.

Sources said that even the Prime Minister was disappointed with the exercise, even critical of the way it was handled by the team involved. Sources also said that the PMO too had been left out of the entire plan. The Congress communications head Ajay Maken's phone remained unavailable for 24 hours after the interview. His media team fell short of words to explain what happened. The exercise to open up Rahul Gandhi to the world also showed the economy of information from Rahul Gandhi's own office, which is seen as feudal and secretive in nature. Meeting Rahul Gandhi becomes an act of espionage and subterfuge. One can only listen but not publish a word, a standard practice followed by his office for the past 10 years.

Appearing in a TV interview nearly after a decade, Rahul failed to avail the opportunity to show that his vision for India is not just a bundle of abstract ideas.

- By Jatin Gandhi/ Mail Today



Read more at: Unfolding Rahul Gandhi's PR debacle saga: The inside story : North, News - India Today

 

[VeeraBahadur]

Coomi Kapoor says it was Robert Vadra(this name doesn't sound Indian unlike Sonia) who was behind Raul's interview.

 

[kbd-raaf]

So it looks like a few people are not happy (the Jats) about NaMo not talking about the Muffarazanagar riot victims in his speech in Meerut.

 

[Roybot]

So it looks like a few people are not happy (the Jats) about NaMo not talking about the Muffarazanagar riot victims in his speech in Meerut.

Its just another Congressi propoganda. Jats very well know that Modi can't say anything out in the public, because Modi has to win seats from elsewhere too, just 15 seats in Western UP won't make him the PM.

So nothing to worry about, Jats will still vote for BJP. Jats are not stupid, neither is Modi.

 

[kbd-raaf]

Its just another Congressi propoganda. Jats very well know that Modi can't say anything out in the public, because Modi has to win seats from elsewhere too, just 15 seats in Western UP won't make him the PM.

So nothing to worry about, Jats will still vote for BJP. Jats are not stupid, neither is Modi.

I hope so, his speech today wasn't one of his best. But still heads and shoulders above the rest in India.

 

[Bhai Zakir]

So it looks like a few people are not happy (the Jats) about NaMo not talking about the Muffarazanagar riot victims in his speech in Meerut.

In the Meerut rally Modi have said that if u want UP to be riot free state then vote for me as PM.

Now tell me:

1.) Is it a warning??

2.) Otherwise how can on earth a PM can stop riot in a state, law and order is a state subject and riots can only be controlled by the Police and CM of that state.

3.) Even when Present BJP National President Rajnath Singh was the CM of UP riots had happen in UP.

 

[Roybot]

I hope so, his speech today wasn't one of his best. But still heads and shoulders above the rest in India.

He is doing a rally every second day almost, sooner or later he ll start sounding repetitive. But hopefully Congress's foot in mouth syndrome will keep giving him new fodder in the future.

 

[kbd-raaf]

In the Meerut rally Modi have said that if u want UP to be riot free state then vote for me as PM.

Now tell me:

1.) Is it a warning??

2.) Otherwise how can on earth a PM can stop riot in a state, law and order is a state subject and riots can only be controlled by the Police and CM of that state.

3.) Even when Present BJP National President Rajnath Singh was the CM of UP riots had happen in UP.

Seriously?

That's what you came up with?

He is doing a rally every second day almost, sooner or later he ll start sounding repetitive. But hopefully Congress's foot in mouth syndrome will keep giving him new fodder in the future.

He may sound repetitive to those of us who are following his campaign. But to the people on the ground, this will be the first they're hearing from him.

 

[Bhai Zakir]

 

[furkansayed]

 

[Nair saab]

Modi wave rising in W.Bengal .

Former TMC MP Vikram Sarkar, Former IPS Ranjit kumar mohanti, former CBI officer sujit ghosh, former additional secratary IAS SK Magan, Former IRS vishwajit dutt, IPS RN Das, IIM passout SC saxena, IAS P tayal , industrialist susil agrawal and Bappi lehri joined BJP

 

[VeeraBahadur]

 

[Bhai Zakir]

He is doing a rally every second day almost, sooner or later he ll start sounding repetitive. But hopefully Congress's foot in mouth syndrome will keep giving him new fodder in the future.

So u accept even after all of his Feku stuff he have lost just before the start of the election campaign

And u are betting on some foot in mouth syndrome. Its like duniya main sab mar jaye, to Feku akela PM Hoga