New Delhi, April 7 (IANS) Ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's visit to Bihar on Monday, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tanweer Hassan expressed concerns about potential misunderstandings within the INDI alliance regarding Rahul Gandhi's participation in Kanhaiya Kumar's rally without consulting Tejashwi Yadav.
Speaking to IANS, Hassan stated that Gandhi should have consulted RJD leader, Tejashwi Yadav before attending the rally.
"Of course, we know that Rahul Gandhi is the leader of the INDI alliance and it is his responsibility to take all the 'Gathbandhan parties' and run with their consent, and he should have spoken to Tejashwi Yadav about this. Then he should have come himself and I think he is making a mistake somewhere," Hassan remarked.
Hassan also responded to questions about the purpose of Kanhaiya Kumar's rally, which aims to expand his party's organisation. He explained that rallies have always been a part of political activity, and RJD is well-known for organising massive Maha rallies in Bihar.
"See, rallies have always been there. Every party has held rallies and RJD is known for the major rallies in Bihar. Because RJD holds Maha-rallies. Whenever RJD called, called a Maha-rally. So, there won't be a big difference from rallies," Hassan said.
He further added, "But with Kanhaiya Kumar's rally, the party wants to expand its organisation. That's why they are putting Kanhaiya Kumar ahead and making him run in Bihar."
Rahul Gandhi is set to visit Bihar on Monday. As part of his trip, he will travel to Begusarai to participate in the “Stop Migration, Give Jobs (Palayan roko naukari do)" march led by former JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar.
Tanweer Hassan also addressed Kanhaiya Kumar's defeat in previous elections and stated that losing and winning is part of the political process.
"There is no reason for losing an election. Losing and winning are two sides of the same coin. The one who fights for the elections accepts both sides. That there can be a loss and there can be a win. There can be no blame for this, that you lost because of this or because of that," he said.
When asked if Kanhaiya Kumar's actions were weakening the 'Mahagathbandhan,' Hassan disagreed. "He is not weakening the Mahagathbandhan. He wants to strengthen his party. This is the central line of his party. How far can he strengthen? This will be seen in the future. But he is campaigning intending to strengthen his party," he explained.
As for Rahul Gandhi's upcoming visit to Begusarai to attend Kanhaiya Kumar's rally, Hassan expressed understanding but reiterated the importance of parties unity within the Mahagathbandhan (INDI Alliance).
"We are seeing that RJD is a big party of Bihar. We are running a big campaign under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav. But Rahul Gandhi is a big leader of the Mahagathbandhan. He should see that the other parties of the Mahagathbandhan should also participate in this," he said.
He emphasised that actions like these might increase misunderstandings within the alliance, adding, "This is an election year. Elections have to be held this year. And by doing different activities like this, misunderstanding increases. There is no need to increase the misunderstanding. In fact, everyone needs to be tied in one thread."
