Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge teased Rahul Gandhi about former party leaders Jyotiraditya Scindia and Ghulam Nabi Azad. During a meeting with youth workers, Gandhi called those who left cowards. Kharge said, "They were all your friends," prompting Gandhi to explain that political friendships are often hard to judge correctly.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took a light-hearted dig at Rahul Gandhi during an interaction with young party workers, pointing out that several prominent leaders who had quit the Congress were once close to the Leader of Opposition. The exchange came after Gandhi cited Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and former Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad as examples of leaders who had left the party. Gandhi described those who had exited as "cowards and greedy", adding that the Congress was now left with only "lions", according to an NDTV report citing sources. "They were all your friends," Kharge reportedly interjected. Gandhi appeared slightly embarrassed by the remark and denied that Scindia had been his friend. "My sister (Priyanka Gandhi) is sitting right here. She knows that he (Scindia) was not my friend," he said, according to the report. The exchange prompted Gandhi to explain his understanding of friendship and enmity in politics, drawing on an anecdote about his grandmother, former prime minister Indira Gandhi. "My political training came from my grandmother," Gandhi said, recalling how he had once asked her who her best friend was. When he suggested the name of a woman who frequently visited their home, Indira Gandhi reportedly told him: "I might be her best friend, but she is not my best friend." Gandhi used the anecdote to explain why political relationships could be difficult to judge from appearances. "Someone who appears to be my friend may not actually be one, and someone who seems to be my enemy may not truly be an enemy," he told Kharge, adding that identifying his real friends was difficult. Gandhi also alleged that some leaders had left the Congress in pursuit of perks and security, while others were afraid of action by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Scindia left the Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2020. Before his departure, he was widely regarded as being close to Gandhi. Azad quit the Congress in 2022 after a prolonged period of differences with the party leadership. During the interaction, Gandhi also cited Kharge's political career as an example of ideological commitment, noting that the Congress president had missed out on becoming chief minister twice but had not compromised on his ideology. The exchange took place during an informal meeting at the Congress headquarters, where Gandhi had invited around 60 workers from the Youth Congress, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and the Seva Dal for tea. Gandhi encouraged the workers to continue their activism, describing protests and political struggles as important parts of their political training. He also suggested exploring new and creative forms of demonstrations, including a protest at Jantar Mantar, a venue where demonstrations are subject to official permissions and restrictions. When Gandhi noticed a worker with a plaster cast on his leg, he reportedly likened it to a medal, acknowledging the worker's participation in political activism despite the injury. Gandhi also claimed during the interaction that the Narendra Modi government had only eight to 10 months left.