The other day I met a starving person. I had no desire to meet such a person but I do not know why I could not help talking to him when I saw him sitting near the entrance of a park where I often go for morning walk. He was looking very old, very lean and thin, wearing tattered clothes. The sight did not surprise me, though I had not seen him earlier at that place. We see such persons every day in different parts of the city. What surprised me was that he was reading a Hindi newspaper. Out of curiosity I went near him. He was so engrossed that he did not see that somebody was standing in front of him. I had to take initiative to attract his attention.
‘Is there anything very interesting that you are reading?’ I asked him.
He looked at me. It was his turn to be surprised. Perhaps, no one had ever asked him such a question. Or, perhaps not a well fed and dressed person like me. He looked at me as if he had not understood the question.
I repeated my question.
‘Yes sir. Something very interesting.’
‘Really? What’s that? Do you read newspapers every day?’ I asked too many questions in one breath.
‘I rarely get opportunity to read newspapers. I got it lying here. Somebody might have thrown after reading it. I picked it up to sell it along with other scraps of papers which I collect from the streets. Out of curiosity, I started reading it.
‘What is that?’
Sir, I read that some big people, described as intellectuals, are very angry with the government. You must be knowing that, Sir.’
‘Yes. I have also read in newspapers.’ I admitted.
‘Sir, I have read that they are saying that the government is very intolerant, that this country is no longer safe. Some of them are even saying that they would not like to live in this country. Is it really so bad? I do not find anything unusual. I’m a poor man. I find every day the same, except when I get two meals. Normally, I go to bed which is footpath without eating full meal in the night but I cannot think of going out of this country. How can I go anywhere? I have no money. These people must have tons of money to go to a foreign country and settle there.’
I was not prepared to hear such a discourse from such a poor and uneducated man who was perhaps a rag-picker. I did not know how to explain the intolerance these intellectuals were complaining about. Somehow I said: ‘You must have read in the newspaper the reasons they are giving.’
‘Yes Sir. They have given some reasons but I am unable to understand those reasons. I was trying to find out if they are angry or upset that there are crores of people like me who do not get two square meals a day. But I could not find. That’s why I was reading the same news again, thinking that I might have missed something. Why are they not worried about people like me?’
I thought of asking that man to shut up. Instead of enjoying morning walk, I was wasting my time talking to him. But somehow I could not ask him to shut up. He was looking at me for an answer.
‘It is not their job. It is the job of political leaders to worry about people like you.’ I could not think of any other explanation.
‘Political leaders! All of them say they are worried about people like me. Many of them promised but could not do anything. My father, he was also a poor man like me, once told me that even before independence our leaders, who had fought for our country’s independence, had promised that once the foreign rulers were thrown out, they would remove poverty. I have heard that Indira Gandhi had once said that her enemies wanted to remove her because she wanted to remove poverty. Nothing happened. Sir, I come from a state where a poor man, not as poor as me, became Chief Minister after promising that he would remove poverty. All that he could achieve was to remove the poverty of his family. Today, all the children are very rich and move in big cars without doing any work. I had some hope from the communists but when I saw a photograph of some communist leaders, as well dressed as you, discussing some big issues, not poverty, in an air-conditioned room and drinking mineral water, I knew that they were not different from others. What do you say?’
What could I say? With some difficulty I murmured: ‘Yes, I agree with you. Our political leaders could not do much. They may have their own limitations.’
‘Sir, will these persons who are angry with the government now do something for people like me?’
‘I don’t think so. There are intellectuals. They are worried about bigger things.’
‘What is the meaning of intellectuals?’ He asked.
I was glad that he had asked a question which I could answer with confidence. I explained: ‘An intellectual is a very wise person who examines problems of the society and suggests solutions.’
I saw a ray of hope in his eyes. ‘Really Sir? Can these wise persons, these intellectuals, understand our problems, problems of people who are starving every day? Can they suggest solution? When will they do that? Will the government act on their solution?’ He asked.
I could not say anything. He looked at me. ‘Sir, will these intellectuals ever get angry that crores of people are starving in this country? Will they ever suggest how starving people like me can get two square meals? Will they ever get angry that the government does not act on their suggestions to provide two square meals a day to the starving people like me?’
‘I do not know.’ I hurriedly entered the park. I had no patience, in fact no courage, to face him.
Will any intellectual answer his question? Question of starving people of India? There are more than 190 million of them.
Perhaps, no intellectual will take up the issue. Most of these hypocrites are busy with more ‘important’ issues to be in news and in public memory.
Never before in the past, Indian income tax payers, especially those who earned long-term capital gain (LTCG) during the last financial year, had felt so frustrated as this year. It is all due to defective design of the income tax returns (ITRs) and defective utilities (short programmes). Most of those taxpayers who boasted that they were able to fill ITRs and upload on the IT website have passed on their problems to tax consultants. The tax consultants themselves are unable to solve all the problems.
Never before in the past, the CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes) had publicly expressed displeasure at the complaints of the taxpayers. In a press release dated July 16, 2019 (https://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/Pages/press-releases.aspx), the CBDT referred to “reports on social media that taxpayers were facing difficulties in filling” ITRs 2 and 3 “due to large-scale changes’ on July 11, 2019”. Denying any large-scale changes, it has stated that only utilities have been updated which is a continuous process. In support of its claim that everything is alright, the CBDT has pointed out that more than 1.38 crore taxpayers have already filed their returns – more than 85 lakh in ITR-1 – by using the utility.
However, the press release has omitted to mention specific problems faced by the taxpayers. Nor has it mentioned the difficulties in entering data regarding long-term capital gains (LTC G).
On July 19, in a notification the CBDT claimed that Schedule 112A and 115 A.D. (1) (iii) of LTCG were provided in the ITRs on “the taxpayer feedback”. The notification clarified that “taxpayers have an option to either enter the scrip wise details of LTCG in Schedule 112A and 115 A.D. (1) (iii) so that the correct values are populated in the CG schedule or enter the self-calculated aggregate value of LTCG’s under respective items in Schedule CG’ without entering scrip -wise data. (All references are to Microsoft Excel utilities)
Three days later, on July 22, CBDT issued another notification that “ITR-2 and ITR-5 (Java utility) are modified to fix bugs identified while filling schedule F A in ITR-2 (Java utility).
Notwithstanding, all these claims, taxpayers have faced and are facing problems. In an earlier article “Faulty utility for ITR2 for AY 2019-20” (https://www.devendranarain.com/faulty-utility-f…2-for-ay-2019-20/), I discussed several problems I myself faced. Subsequently, several friends, acquaintances and even unknown persons told me that they too were facing problems. When I tried to seek online help from a group of chartered accountants, some of them confessed that they too were facing problems. One salaried person rang up to say that when he tried to ‘validate’ the duly filled salary sheet, he got the message that he has to pay alternative minimum tax! Till last year, if a friend sought my help to fill and upload ITR-2, I gladly helped him. However, this year I had to say no to everybody because I myself have not been unable to fill my return correctly. I must add that ITR-2 (Microsoft Excel) released on July 11, removed some of the irritants but kept some and added one more.
In this article I am concentrating on problems I have faced in filling data regarding LTCG in Schedule CG and Schedule 112 A of ITR-2 (Microsoft Excel). In all probability, I will have to upload the return I have filled and which will cause me some loss.
Common problem
A common problem in both the Schedules is that one cannot enter data regarding shares or units of mutual funds acquired between February 1, 2018 and March 31, 2018 and sold after one year but by March 31, 2019. The design of B4 part of Schedule is such that data regarding such shares are not accepted. In fact, there is no column to enter data regarding shares purchased after January 31, 2018 and sold by March 31, 2019. If one enters full value of consideration (sale price) of such shares in column ‘a’ and cost of acquisition in column ‘bi’, an Error message pops up:
“Error(s)!
Please enter the Cost of acquisition If the long term capital asset was acquired before 01.02.201 8 in Point B4.
Please enter the Fair Market Value of capital asset as per section S5(2)(ac) in Point B4.
Please enter the Full value of consideration in Point B4.
Please ensure that the Total of the values in Table F(5) in Sheet CG for LTCG 10% is equal to item 3(vii) of schedule BFLA”
Similarly, in Schedule 112A also there is no provision to enter data regarding shares and units of mutual fund purchased between February 1, 2018 and March 31, 2018 and sold after one year but by March 31, 2019.
Luckily, I am not facing this problem because all the shares and units of mutual fund which I sold were purchased before January 31, 2018.
Specific problem in Schedule part B4 of CG
(a) The CBDT Notification of July 19, 2019 gives an option to the tax payers to “enter the self-calculated aggregate value of long term capital gains directly under respective items in schedule CG in terms”. I tried this option. I manually calculated LTCG on sale of each share/unit of mutual fund. The LTCG worked out to ₹ 536,680/-.
When I entered the self-calculated aggregate value, as advised in the CBDT circular, in B4, the result was quite different. Please see the table below.
a
Full value of consideration
a
1917133
b
Deductions under section 48
bi
Cost of acquisition without indexation (higher of iA and iB)
bi
1608514
iA
Cost of acquisition
biA
653106
iB
If the long term capital asset was acquired before 01.02.2018, Lower of Bl and B2
biB
1608514
Bl) Fair Market Value of capital asset as per section 55(2)(ac)
bi Bl
1608514
B2) Full value of consideration
bi B2
1917133
bii
Cost of improvement without indexation
bii
0
biii
Expenditure wholly and exclusively in connection with transfer
biii
0
biv
Total deductions (bi + bii + biii)
biv
1608514
c
Balance (4a – 4biv)
4c
308619
d
LTCG after threshold limit as per section 112A (4c – Rs. 1 lakh)
4d
Obviously, entry of aggregate data is not the correct procedure. When I entered the script -wise details in schedule 112A, the data transfer to BG gave correct amount of LTCG (₹ 536,680/-)
(b) Another serious problem, not reflected in the table above, is that Item 4d (LTCG after threshold limit as per section 112A i.e. gross LTCG less ₹ 1 lakh) is blocked. I downloaded ITR-2 several times. Though this does not make a difference in computation of tax payable (the utility deducts ₹ 1 lakh while calculating tax liability), it makes difference when LTCG is to be set off against short-term capital loss, current or carried forward. The entire LTCG (without deduction of ₹ 1 lakh) is set off against current and carried forward losses which is a loss to taxpayer in the long run.
Schedule 112A has its own shortcomings
The Schedule requires assessee to furnish ISIN (International Securities Identification Number) Code/folio number. Most of the taxpayers investing in shares may not even be aware of ISIN. The country’s National Numbering Agency allocates this code to identify a specific security. The information is available on Internet. Money control.com is one of the sites were ISIN could be obtained. Why is the CBDT bothering taxpayers to get ISIN of each equity share? Is it not enough to get the name of the company?
Folio number is used for keeping a record of units of mutual fund. Since Column 2 of the Schedule mentions both the options (ISIN code/Folio No.), the natural tendency is to enter Folio No. However, the utility recognises only ISIN code of mutual fund. Again, most of the investors in MFs would not have bothered about ISIN code. It is mentioned in the statement of purchase or redemption sent by the mutual fund asset management company. Those who have not preserved these statements may get the requisite information from the website of NSDL. NSDL has a list of mutual funds with ISIN codes running in 297 pages. Those familiar with working on Excel sheet and keeping full name of the fund can, with some effort, find out ISI. Another problem is that sometimes mutual fund managements change names of the scheme. Unless assessee is aware of the new name, it cannot find ISIN and even from the NSDL list. Again, my question is why make it so complicated?
I filled Schedule 112 A correctly, though it took a lot of time. The data transferred from Schedule 112A to B4 in Schedule CG gave correct amount of LTCG though one of the entry (in column iA) is beyond understanding and ₹ 1 lakh is also not deducted from the total LTCG. Please see the table below.
a
Full value of consideration
a
1917092
b
Deductions under section 48
bi
Cost of acquisition without indexation (higher of iA and iB)
bi
1380425
iA
Cost of acquisition
biA
286
iB
If the long term capital asset was acquired before 01.02.2018, Lower of Bl and B2
biB
1380425
Bl) Fair Market Value of capital asset as per section 55(2)(ac)
bi Bl
1608514
B2) Full value of consideration
bi B2
1917092
bii
Cost of improvement without indexation
bii
0
biii
Expenditure wholly and exclusively in connection with transfer
biii
0
biv
Total deductions (bi + bii + biii)
biv
1380425
c
Balance (4a – 4biv)
4c
536667
d
LTCG after threshold limit as per section 112A (4c – Rs. 1 lakh)
4d
Legality of changes, major or minor, in ITRs and Utilities, questionable
Whatever the CBDT may say in justification of its actions, the changes made since July 11, 2019 are in violation of the order of the Delhi High Court order dated September 21, 2015 in the case of Avinash Gupta Vs. UOI W.P.(C) No. 9032/2015. Taking cognizance of cognizance of delay by CBDT in release of ITR forms, the High Court said:
“There appears to be no justification for delay beyond the assessment year in prescribing the said forms. Accordingly, though not granting any relief to the petitioner for the current assessment year, the respondents are directed to, with effect from the next assessment year, at least ensure that the forms etc. which are to be prescribed for the Audit Report and for filing the ITR are available as on 1st April of the assessment year unless there is a valid reason therefor and which should be recorded in writing by the respondents themselves, without waiting for any representations to be made.”
What is the problem with the CBDT?
The million dollar question is, why has the CBDT done such a perfunctory work? After the Finance Bill, 2018 was introduced on February 01, 2018, the CBDT had sufficient time design user-friendly appropriate ITR and develop utility. Does the CBDT lack professionals combine knowledge of both the ITs, Income Tax and Information Technology? It appears, the CBDT released new ITRs (I am especially referring to ITR-2 and ITR-3) with utilities without verifying its effectiveness and user-friendliness. A parallel I recall (I had dealt with long back as a project appraisal professional in the erstwhile Planning Commission) is when a public sector drug making company used a formula for mass production even before the laboratory scale technology was upscaled for mass production. Out of seven stages involved in up scaling the technology for mass production, only first three had been tested and approved. The result was that the plant could utilise only 25% of its installed capacity.
In my opinion, the CBDT has committed blunder after blunder and must come out with effective corrective measures. The CBDT has extended the due date for filing ITRs from July 31, to August 31. However, that alone will not solve the problems. I would like to make three suggestions:
New ITR-2 should be issued without the existing columns of B4 in Schedule CG and without schedule 112A.
In the revised B4, there should be provision for entering data about LTCG earned from sale of the shares purchased before February 01 2018, as well as the shares purchased between February 01 2018 and March 31, 2018.
Fresh instructions should be issued along with the revised ITR to explain to the taxpayers how to compute LTCG of shares/units of mutual fund purchased before February 01, 2018.
Devendra Narain
IRS (R)
(Former head of the Project Appraisal Division of the Planning Commission of India)
Filing ITR2 with long-term capital gains on sale of shares is much more difficult than I had expected. XML document generated cannot be uploaded. A message is displayed on the screen “At line No 265 invalid content was found starting with element ‘ITR Form deduction Us 54F. One of ‘{http://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/master Exemption of deduction Us 54F is expected.”
This is even after Schedule CG is validated. In the Schedule I entered zero (0 ) in column line B4 (e) i.e. No deduction under section 54F. The website http://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/master is not found.
PS
On 01/08/2019, CBDT issued a new notification:
”CBDT has extended the due date for filing Income Tax Returns for certain category of assesses from July 31, 2019 to August 31, 2019. Accordingly the IT return preparation software are modified to update the 234A interest calculation along with certain other minor corrections and the same is available for download.”
However, the CBDT has completely ignored the hardship being faced by the assesses who earned LTCG on sale of shares/units of mutual fund.
I wonder, how can the CBDT be so insensitive to the problems of common taxpayers who have been e-filing their ITRs without the help of income tax professionals.
Disclaimer: I have criticised the CBDT but I assure everyone that my loyalty to the IRS remains intact, as ever.
No Kashmir issue, no political space for Abdullah family
Farooq Abdullah says no power on earth can touch Article 370 until #Kashmir issue is resolved.
What is this Kashmir issue? Muslim politicians still living in the medieval age have made Kashmir an “issue” only because they cannot accept a Muslim majority region being part of a Hindu majority country.
Such arrow-minded politicians– they are not leaders, they are ‘misleaders’ – have ruined Kashmir. It is because of such politicians that #separatists have become so rich and powerful and internal and external terrorists get support and encouragement to kill people.
People like Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have a vested interest in Keeping the so called ‘Kashmir issue’ alive. They have made the so called issue the basis of your existence in politics.
Kashmir is an ‘issue’ for Pakistan because it wants to grab the Muslim dominated region and has to keep ISI, Pakistan Army, and terrorist organisations operating from Pakistan happy. Without their support, no Pakistan government can survive for a day. Kashmiri politicians talking of ‘Kashmir issue’ are dancing to the tune of all the anti-Indian forces in Pakistan.
American Presidents have vested interest in troubled spots in the world; they get an opportunity to remind the whole world that they alone are custodians of world peace.
The American Presidents have also vested interest in ‘Kashmir issue’. In fact, American Presidents have vested interest in tensions all over the world. Every American President thinks that it is his birth right to intervene in other’s affairs and tell the whole world that America is the most powerful country in the world.
By claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi requested him to mediate between India and Pakistan over ‘Kashmir issue’, President Donald Trump has not covered himself with glory. He has only added to the long list of his lies and immature statements. By now, the whole world knows that Trump is a habitual liar. According to the American media, during the last 2 years, he has 8158 lies to his credit.
By speaking on an average 17 lies a day, Trump has made himself the subject of ridicule not only in his own country but all over the world. Well, that is Trump’s way of ensuring that he is not re-elected as American President.
The US foreign office has already issued a statement that Kashmir being an ‘issue’ between India and Pakistan, there is no question of any mediation by another country. On the floor of the Lok Sabha, the Indian Foreign Minister has also put on record that Prime Minister Modi never requested President Trump to mediate.
Anyone who knows Modi, knows that he is the last person to request anyone to mediate between India and Pakistan. However, most of the opposition politicians have lapped upTrump’s white lie to attack Modi. They want Modi to personally deny Trump’s claim even after it has been denied by Trump’s own foreign office. What is the guarantee that even if Modi personally denies Trump’s lie, the opposition leaders will not ask for proof of what Modi is claiming? The opposition leaders are interested only in condemning Modi, even if that amounts to speaking the language of Pakistan Pakistan and the country. Pakistan has already expressed its happiness over Trump’s lie.
The official stand of the Government of India (GOI) should be that the so-called ‘Kashmir issue’ is India’s internal matter, that no country, whether it is Pakistan or America, has anything to do with it. The GOI need to tell the whole world that Pakistan should not be under the illusion that only because Kashmir is a Muslim majority region adjacent to Pakistan, it has a right to speak about Kashmir, that Pakistan is not the guardian of Muslims outside its country. The GOI should also warn Kashmiri politicians like Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti that the so-called ‘Kashmir issue’ is nothing but there conspiracy to remain relevant in the valley because they do not know any better method of doing politics.
Those who understand Kashmir’s economy know that Kashmir as an independent country will not be viable. As part of Pakistan it will be ruined.
Please let Kashmiri Muslims live in peace. Majority of them would gladly join the main-stream if you people stop misleading them.
Troika of dynasty: Queen Mother, Crown Prince and Princess
At the ripe age of 49, Rahul Gandhi, the scion of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, once portrayed as the future Prime Minister, is neither a happy common family man nor a successful politician. He has been reduced to the level of one of the many unsuccessful politicians. The developments during the last few months and his plight today compel one to analyse why it is so and what are the likely consequences.
Has he suffered because of an Italian mother’s ambition to make him a leader without any quality in him?
Has he suffered because of his own stupidity i.e. believing that being the scion of Nehru-Gandhi dynasty he is born to rule, even if he has no capacity to do be a leader?
Has he suffered because of another stupidity i.e. following a German propagandist Goebbels?
Has he suffered and will continue to suffer because the ‘loyal’ Congressman will not let him be a common Indian (or Italian)?
Or, has he suffered because of all these factors working simultaneously?
Perhaps, the last hypothesis is more correct.
No doubt, Sonia Gandhi is a ruthlessly ambitious lady. She had the opportunity to become Prime Minister in 2004 but (for reasons best known to her) which she did not use and now wants her son to be Prime Minister. But why blame her for ambitions? The Indians in general and the Congressmen, in particular, made her believe that she was married to the prince of a dynasty that had birth-right to rule over India.
Before accepting the Indian citizenship in 1983 (15 years after marriage to Rajiv Gandhi in 1968), Sonia had seen rise and fall and again rise of Indira Gandhi, daughter of India’s first Prime Minister. She had seen how Indira Gandhi was grooming her second son, Sanjay Gandhi, to succeed her because her first son Rajiv Gandhi did not show any interest in politics. She saw how after Sanjay’s untimely death, Indira Gandhi inducted Rajiv in politics and started grooming him.
After Indira Gandhi’s assassination, Sonia saw how the Congressmen made Rajiv his mother’s successor even without following the constitutional propriety of first electing him leader of the Congress Parliamentary party. She knew that soon after the President of India came to know of Indira Gandhi’s assassination, he decided that he would appoint her son as her successor. (https://www.devendranarain.com/rajiv-gandhis-ap…unconstitutional/) Rajiv Gandhi not only became Prime Minister of India, but he also became president of the Congress party, a post he held until his death.
It is a reflection on the people of this country in general and the Congress fellows in particular that a semi-educated girl came from Italy and became the supreme leader of India’s oldest political party. Her only qualification was her marriage to Rajeev Gandhi whose only qualification was that he was son of Indira Gandhi who entered politics only because she was daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru who became first Prime Minister of India because Mahatma Gandhi whom people called Bapu preferred him over Sardar Patel who was the choice of 15 out of 18 Provincial Congress Committees in 1946. For over 19 years she ruled over the party and for 10 years she ruled over the country (through her nominee though) like an empress. Anyone who differed with her had to go out of Congress. (https://www.devendranarain.com/who-will-make-india-congress-mukt/)
Born and brought up in this atmosphere, it is quite natural for Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to believe that they are born to rule and the Indians are their subjects. They believed and perhaps still believe that the Indians commit a blunder if they do not vote for the dynasty. Unfortunately, the leadership qualities cannot be thrust upon anybody. Despite all the grooming, Rahul Gandhi could not prove himself. He continued to commit mistakes after mistakes.
Since Rahul has no understanding of how to do politics and how to connect with the masses, since he has no vision of his own (in fact, he is incapable of having any vision) but is expected to deliver, he goes by the advice of his courtiers. I can not say whether on his own or on the advice of his courtiers, during the 2019 election campaign, he decided to follow Nazi Germany’s Propaganda Minister Paul Joseph Goebbels. Goebbels has given several mantras to people like Sonia and Rahul Gandhi:
“A lie told once remains a lie but a lie told a thousand times becomes the truth.”
“If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.”
“If you tell the same lie enough times, people will believe it; and the bigger the lie, the better.” “
“Propaganda works best when those who are being manipulated are confident they are acting on their own free will.” “This is the secret of propaganda. Those who are to be persuaded by it should be completely immersed in the ideas of propaganda, without ever noticing that they are being immersed in it.”
As Rahul himself told a TV journalist during an interview, when his advisers told him that Prime Minister Modi’s greatest strength was his image of an incorruptible person, he decided to destroy that image. He invented “corruption” in Rafale fighter deal and almost on a daily basis chanted in the election rallies that ‘Modi is a chor (thief) who put ₹ 30,000 crore – money that belonged to the Indian Air Force – in the pocket of his friend Anil Ambani’. When Modi claimed that being the country’s chowkidar (security guard) he could not do anything to harm the country, Rahul coined the slogan “chowkidar chor hai”. The loud support of the assembled Congressmen convinced him that he had hit the ‘bull’s eye’.
However, Modi being Modi. he gave a stronger counter and made millions of Indians say that they were also chowkidar. More the attack on Modi’s integrity, greater the support Modi got. Even Modi’s detractors know that he is not corrupt. Even if Rahul Gandhi knows that, he believed that Goebbels’ mantras were working.
There is a long list of Rahul’s mistakes but concentrating on personal attack on Modi was his biggest mistake.
All propaganda against BJP and NDA failed before Brand Modi.
Under Rahul Gandhi, Congress has suffered a number of humiliating defeats. The consolation – victory in 3 Hindi heartland states – has lost its impact. In 2019 general election Rahul Gandhi failed to revive Congress to the extent expected and needed.
The nation saw a dramma being played in two parts. In part one Rahul Gandhi took the responsibility of defeat and ‘offered to resign’ and in part two he yielded to the pressure of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) to continue as Congress President. Those who know the Congress, know that the final decision-maker is not the CWC but the triumvirate of Sonia, Rahul, and Priyanka.
According to the media reports, during the meeting of the CWC, members made emotional appeals to Rahul Gandhi to continue. Former finance minister P Chidambaram claimed if he resigned ‘the party’s cadres in the southern states will commit suicide’
Obviously, Rahul Gandhi would not like to live with the guilt feeling that ‘the party’s cadres in the southern states’ committed suicide due to him.
Incidentally, in the CWC meeting he expressed his displeasure that Congress leaders like Chidambaram, Ashok Gehlot and Kamalnath were putting the interest of their sons above that of the party on account of which also the Congress suffered. I feel like asking Raul Gandhi, ‘my dear Rahulji, what moral right you have to express displeasure over what these Congress leaders did? Have you forgotten that like your grandmother and father you are holding the post of Congress President only because of your birth in the dynasty and harming the party?’
The ‘family dramma’ is not yet over. Rahul Gandhi has announced that he has resigned from the post of Congress and has asked the CWC to select another person to preside over the party. (To preside over the liquidation of the party, I would say.)
Rahul Gandhi has left the dynasty in lurch. Neither mother-daughter nor their courtiers know what to do.
The obvious conclusion is that the Indian National Congress and the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty cannot exist without each other. Nor can the two promote each other. But they can certainly destroy each other.