BY SANJEEB KUMAR SAHOO
After the unexpected protest on July 21 outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi, in support of the youth and demanding action against those who allegedly used lathis,pellet guns, and tear gas on protesters who were marching towards Parliament on July 20, India’s Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi once again demonstrated his leadership qualities on August 21, when he reached the DCP’s office at Parliament Street Police Station.
Since Rahul Gandhi has become known in recent days for his unexpected actions in support of people in need, he reached the DCP’s office at Parliament Street Police Station and demanded that a First Information Report (FIR) be registered on the complaint of 19-year-old Sahil Lochab, who claimed that the police had refused to register an FIR despite his suffering pellet injuries, including an injury to his eye.
When the Delhi Police refused to register the FIR, top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi began a silent protest. After more than six hours of silent protest on August 21 at the main entrance of the DCP’s office at Parliament Street Police Station, demanding an FIR over the pellet injuries suffered by the youth during the July 20 protest, the Delhi Police registered an FIR based on a complaint filed by 19-year-old Sahil Lochab.
Earlier, the Delhi Police had reportedly refused to register an FIR based on his complaint, despite his suffering pellet injuries, including damage to his eye. Therefore, the sole credit goes to Rahul Gandhi, the few Congress cadres who stood with him, whom I know personally, and the Congress beat reporters who covered Rahul Gandhi’s silent protest for about seven hours without eating anything.
I would not give any credit to any other Congress leaders who were with Rahul Gandhi yesterday, and I will explain why in the next paragraphs.
Before I start, I would like to say that Rahul Gandhi needs a strong political adviser who has a deep understanding of Indian politics, grassroots-level political organisation, and the needs of Congress party cadres. For example, if Rahul Gandhi’s adviser sends a message asking supporters to gather at a particular place, thousands of party leaders and workers should immediately assemble there to support Rahul Gandhi. However, this does not appear to be happening currently under his non-political advisers and social media team. I am sorry if my words hurt Rahul Gandhi or his team, but believe me, I am only stating what I believe to be the truth.
I am saying this because Rahul Gandhi urgently needs a strong political adviser. Currently, many of those around him either appear to have little political sense or seem to be working more for themselves than for the party, Rahul Gandhi’s interests, and the broader interests of the Congress party.
Interestingly, many organisation secretaries and state in-charges appear to be missing from their official chambers, where they should come at least three times a week to meet party members and cadres, listen to their issues, and work to resolve them with the help of Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and K.C. Venugopal, who is the General Secretary (Organisation).
I am saying this because Rahul Gandhi urgently needs a strong political adviser. Currently, many of those around him either appear to have little political sense or seem to be working more for themselves than for the party, Rahul Gandhi’s interests, and the broader interests of the Congress party.
Interestingly, many organisation secretaries and state in-charges appear to be absent from their official chambers at 24 Akbar Road, where they should be present at least three times a week to meet party members and cadres, listen to their concerns, and work to resolve their issues with the help of Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, and K.C. Venugopal, who is the General Secretary (Organisation).
However, at 24 Akbar Road, many leaders from different states, as well as Congress members and cadres, return home with a heavy heart when they are unable to find the Congress leaders who are in charge of various departments.
Many leaders from different states, as well as Congress members and cadres, have complained that they do not come to 24 Akbar Road seeking any personal favour from anyone. In fact, they come to 24 Akbar Road to offer their suggestions, share ideas, and raise grassroots-level issues so that the Congress party can become stronger at the grassroots level.
Do not forget that Congress cadres are not allowed to enter the Congress party’s new headquarters, Indira Bhavan on Kotla Road, to meet anyone without prior approval from the concerned person. They are allowed to enter only after receiving the necessary approval.
So, it appears that the Congress party’s new headquarters, Indira Bhavan, operates more like the headquarters of a multinational company or the Prime Minister’s Office, where people may need to seek approval days in advance to meet someone. Sometimes, their requests are denied, while in other cases, they do not receive a response for many days.However, I believe that no party leader, member, or cadre should need prior approval simply to visit their own party headquarters.
I say this based on my experience yesterday after reaching Parliament Street Police Station in New Delhi. I received a message through a media group at 11:49 a.m. while I was at my friend’s home working on a political story, which is why I reached Parliament Street Police Station at around 1:30 p.m. At the same time, many leaders who are lawmakers and have been elected for more than two terms to either the Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha did not join Rahul Gandhi yesterday, despite many of them living in Lutyens’ Delhi, just a few minutes away from Parliament Street Police Station.
In the meantime, at around 1:30 p.m., I found approximately 150 Congress members and cadres gathered outside Parliament Street Police Station. By around 5 p.m., the number had increased to approximately 200–300 Congress members and cadres gathered at the main gate of Parliament Street Police Station in support of Rahul Gandhi’s silent protest.
This means that the leaders and members associated with Rahul Gandhi failed to gather a significant number of their supporters yesterday, despite many of them having considerable political influence and stature within the Congress party.
Interestingly, only three well-known politicians (I will not disclose their names here) who have strong influence in their respective constituencies joined Rahul Gandhi’s silent protest yesterday. However, they failed to arrange a significant crowd to support Rahul Gandhi, as by around 5 p.m., only about 300 Congress cadres had gathered in support of him.
So, this is high time to send a strong message: Madam Sonia Gandhi should become more active in the Congress party and remove non-political people from Rahul Gandhi’s team. She should also consider appointing someone like the late Congress leader Ahmed Patel, who had a strong political understanding and was one of Sonia Gandhi’s most trusted political advisers.
As far as I came to know, Ahmed Patel used to visit every chamber at the Akbar Road Congress office to understand what was happening within the party. Such a practice does not appear to be happening under Rahul Gandhi’s non-political team.
Even today, many people continue to appreciate senior Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi and his role in handling the party’s media department. Recently, he was admitted to AIIMS for health reasons, but, as I understand it, no senior Congress leader went to meet him.If I have said anything wrong, I sincerely apologise. I am sharing this based on my experience yesterday, when the party struggled to arrange a significant crowd in support of Rahul Gandhi’s silent protest. Even leaders from Haryana and Delhi failed to mobilise a substantial number of supporters for Rahul Gandhi.
Therefore, I believe it is time to end my remarks by saying that whether you love me or hate me does not matter to me, as I do not take money from anyone to write political stories or tweet about any particular topic. I am passionate about politics and political journalism, and I always strive to do what is best for people in need rather than pursue my own interests.
On the other hand, I do not need to depend on anyone for quotes for my political stories. However, if anyone wants to share their views, statement, or quote for my story, they are always welcome. Otherwise, I am fully capable of writing about what India’s Opposition Leader, Rahul Gandhi, wants to say and how his views may benefit the nation, Congress cadres, and those in need.
Similarly, I do not need to depend on quotes from BJP leaders either. If anyone from the BJP wants to share their views, statements, or quotes for my story, they are always welcome. Otherwise, I am fully capable of writing about what the BJP’s top leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, want to say and how their views may benefit the nation, party cadres, and those in need.
Latest example: In 2025, I highlighted Joseph Vijay Chandrasekhar from South India, who founded the political party Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), and Prashant Kishor (PK) from North India, who founded the Jan Suraaj Party (JSP), in my cover story, “Emerging Politicians in 2025,” for an edition of National Political Mirror. Both of my predictions have now come true.
The Congress has supported Vijay’s political ambitions to become the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Similarly, senior Congress leader and former MP Nikhil Kumar reportedly expressed support for Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor ahead of the Bankipur Assembly by-election.
Besides Nikhil Kumar’s reported support, there has also been indirect support from Rahul Gandhi for Prashant Kishor. Prashant Kishor was elected as an MLA on August 3. Although he is not the Chief Minister, many people in Bihar are already viewing him as a potential Chief Minister, despite the fact that his party, the Jan Suraaj Party, has only one MLA—and that MLA is Prashant Kishor.
I said in my story for the December 28 edition of National Political Mirror, the world’s only weekly political magazine and India’s sole independent media house: “And, believe me, I have no evidence, but I am convinced that Prashant Kishor and Vijay have tremendous support from prominent Congress leaders and India’s Opposition Leader, Rahul Gandhi.”
