NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday sought people to discuss internal democracy in political parties. Seen as a veiled attack on reports of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi soon occupying top party past, Modi demanded that people should discuss whether democratic values are enshrined in the core value of the political party.
Speaking at the annual Diwali Milan function at the BJP headquarter, Modi claimed that the country is not familiar with internal democracy within a political party. He said that it should be the central topic of debate in the country for the sake of the good health of democracy. “Besides organisational structure, values and ideologies championed by political parties should be debated along with the shortcomings. It should also be seen if the wavelength of a party workers at the bottom of the hierarchy matches with that of the top leaders or nor,” Modi noted.
Incidentally, Prime Minister did not refer to any political party while arguing for a discussion in the country on the state of internal democracy in political parties. Last year, Prime Minister, while speaking on the same occasion, had sought debate in the country on the issue of holding simultaneous elections.
The Congress is reportedly going ahead with concluding organisational elections, which will come to a final conclusion with the election for the post of the party president. The BJP chief Amit Shah has on occasions claimed that he began his political career as a small time worker who had been a booth in-charge but rose to occupy the top post because of internal democracy in the party.
However, it has been seen that the BJP president is chosen and the formality of election is conducted during the national council meeting. The BJP leaders claimed that the Prime Minister’s reference to internal democracy was in the context of the top post not being available to a party worker outside the family controlling the leadership. Besides Congress, a number of regional political outfits, including the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), National Conference, DMK, have seen dynasties controlling the leaderships.