Rahul 'baba' turns 'crusader' baba

This was the ‘debut’ that every watcher and non-watcher of politics had been waiting for! The biggest ‘watch-out-for’ moment in Indian politics in a while, atleast ever since Narendra Modi lay claim to the primeminsitership of India. In fact, if like the IPL, the parliament sessions could be sponsored (no, I am not committing blasphemy by saying that), this particular ‘match’ would have received the highest sponsorship! The event- Congress scion, Rahul Gandhi’s ‘speaking debut’ during a parliament session. Yes, you heard that right. The first time ever that Rahul Gandhi, touted as heir apparent to the Congress President’s throne, was going to speak in the Parliament, on an issue that has become almost an Achilles’ heel for the Narendra Modi government.

An announcement to that regard-the fact he would be speaking on the floor-was made three hours in advance. A whip was issued by his party, the age-old Congress party, for all MPs to be present in a show of strength and solidarity to their heir-apparent’s debut in the Parliament.
So, even as his mother met hordes of farmers from across the country at her home in 10 Janpath, Rahul baba took to the floor. It was almost like a workaholic mother, missing out on her son’s first ever rock performance! Only that the performance wasn’t entirely ‘rockstar-like’.
Yes, this was Rahul 2.0, a new improved Gandhi scion, freshly returned from where ever it is that he went to ‘meditate’ and ‘chill’. Smirking, taunting and poking fun at his opponents, even taking as many as 11 jibes at the political hawk that Modi is known to be.

Of the many wisecracks were some of these jewels: ‘You came to power promising growth, but done nothing.’ ‘It’s what the BJP does best. Say three different, contradictory things, and claim all the three to be true.’ ‘This government is for the rich. This government is trying to help its industrial friends. This government is for the suited booted.’ ‘More than 60% of the country depends on agriculture. Don’t harm the farmers, because tomorrow they will come back and harm you.’

Smart political one-liners, maybe, what he definitely lacked was the depth, the political acumen of say a Narendra Modi, his opponent-in-chief, who has a retort ready for every sticky question, who can mold every negative situation into his advantage. However what was definitely changed to his advantage was his new-found confidence, the fact that he had come well-prepared (the stack of papers he was reading out of was more than proof!), and the fact that clearly there is more to come.

One did get the feeling that the offensive has just begun and Rahul baba has finally grown up and turned into the rightful ‘crusader’ of the farmers, the people who represent more than 67% of the population. So, if day 1 of this parliament session were anything to go by, the next few weeks could actually shadow the entertainment factor of even the on going IPL, Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma, Dhoni’s little daughter Ziva, Shah Rukh Khan and his cherub AbRam et al! So let the games begin!