Rahul hones skill in public speaking

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 11

Despite being in public life for over a decade, it will be naive to assume that Rahul Gandhi is acquiring the art or oratory. Yet going by his speech at the AICC party Jan Vedna Sammelan (public anguish conference) today, the Congress vice-president exhibited he is honing his public speaking skill.

Having come to chair the one-day session in the absence of party president Sonia Gandhi, the party deputy carried the day especially in the concluding part where he sharpened his verbal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi with captive audience cheering the loudest when he suggested to media “daro mat” (do not be afraid).

Rahul Gandhi prefaced the comment on media suggesting he was privy to confessions to him by members of the fourth estate of working under pressure and inability to report what they should. If in the morning he reminded media it has a duty to perform, by the evening the audience lapped up his “don’t be afraid” theme that extended to exhortation to the party not to be cowed down in the present political situation.

The Congress numero uno for the day was seeking to underscore that plight of the ordinary who feel the brunt of demonetisation could be adequately reflected in media reportage due to some unexplained pressure being exerted by the influential.

Unlike the past, he made it a point to engage with those around him and they responded almost on the cue, offering suggestions or prompting the leader by filling in the gaps. In resorting to some popular expressions from Bollywood hits featuring Amitabh Bachchan and interspersing the speech with a dialogue, enthralled the party workers, many of who could be heard later acknowledging grudgingly “Aaj Rahul acha bola” (Rahul spoke well today).