Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi and brother Rahul Gandhi (Image: PTI/FILE)
In 2007, Rahul Gandhi questioned the relevance and practicality of this rule.
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- Last Update:October 27, 2021 10:06 AM IST
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The Congress’s rule of being addicted and using khadi started discussion at the AICC meeting on Tuesday, where the majority agreed that there should be an amendment to reflect the changing times.
The old-time rules of the party left some red faces at the meeting. According to a report in The Times of India, one participant raised the issue by asking why membership should begin with “lies”. This came after Rahul Gandhi’s remark that the party’s form should be practical as well as reflect the changing times.
On the one hand, Punjab Congress President Navjot Sidhu categorically remarked that Punjab drinks as much alcohol in a day as the water of a lake. Rahul then asked a sharp question – ‘Who drinks here?’ NDTV quoted sources as saying that the members looked embarrassed, while Sidhu replied, “Most people in my state drink alcohol.”
Reportedly, such rules can only be changed by the party’s working committee—the party’s highest decision-making body. And the rule of not drinking alcohol is from the days of Mahatma Gandhi, which is still intact in the books. In 2007, Rahul Gandhi questioned the relevance and practicality of this rule.
However, ahead of the next round of elections, the rule has made its way into the new membership form for the party’s membership campaign beginning on 1 November. It lists 10 points as a personal declaration by those wishing to become a member- abstinence from alcohol and drugs being one of the points. The new members will have to pledge never to criticize the policies and programs of the party in public forums.
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