1. Zopag News Network Published on Thu 6th Aug 2009 11:47:00 New Delhi, August 6: We take great pride in our democratic credentials and miss no opportunity to showcase it to the world. The respect which India command in the international arena has a lot to do with our democratic nature which others envy but we are so proud of. But isn’t it ironical that our grand old party , Congress , which has mostly ruled India practice dynastic politics . TOP NEWS STORY OF THE DAY – 6 th August 2009 HAVE YOUR SAY: Is Congress the property of Gandhis

2. Why can’t the party that led India for three decades without a coalition stand on its own without the Gandhi parivar? Why can’t they do without a Gandhi? The dynasty politics of Congress has given India its first political family, namely the Gandhis. Whenever the party is down and faces crisis, it looks up to the Gandhi family. HAVE YOUR SAY: Is Congress the property of Gandhis

3. Under Rahul Gandhi—the 38-year-old heir to India’s great political dynasty; son, grandson and great-grandson of Prime Ministers, Congress plans to rebuild its eroded base and rule India without any coalition partner . Since the time Sonia Gandhi, who took over the reins of Congress in 1998, seven years after Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated, the party has seen an upswing in its fortune. But the Congress needs to ask itself some tough questions. HAVE YOUR SAY: Is Congress the property of Gandhis

4. There is no dearth of talent in a country as huge as ours. Others were ignored just to promote dynastic politics. So many talented leaders had to leave the Congress only for the Nehru-Gandhi family. Congress is and has been dynastic and the futile attempts of some visionaries to bring in a democratic culture within the party have been in vain. HAVE YOUR SAY: Is Congress the property of Gandhis

5. But would it be right to blame only Congress for this? Isn’t it true that majority of Indians vote not for the party agenda, but for caste and names like ‘Gandhi and Nehru’? And rightly, the Gandhi family considers Congress as a privately-held company with others in the party being just employees. The sycophancy is rampant in the party and a Congresswala needs to be on good terms with 10, Janpath. There is no other way out. HAVE YOUR SAY: Is Congress the property of Gandhis

6. Congressmen are used to autocratic rule since long. They like to obey one single personality in the party. Earlier, it was Nehru followed by Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and now it is Sonia Gandhi. And Rahul Gandhi is waiting. Where is the question of democracy in Congress? Looking at the helm of affairs, it is very clear that Congress and dynastic politics is synonymous. HAVE YOUR SAY: Is Congress the property of Gandhis

7. You are affected by what happens around you Zopag empowers you with NEWS at your fingertips www.zopag.com