On Saturday, 19th October, a revealing yet baffling interview was published by journalist Shubhankar Mishra with former Home Minister and (now retired) senior Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde, in which the politician admitted that adding ‘Atankwad’ as a suffix to ‘Bhagwa’ was a mistake. Speaking to Mishra, Shinde said he did not know why Congress added the suffix when it happened. Interestingly, he also failed to acknowledge that Afzal Guru was a terrorist. His expression of faith in Rahul Gandhi’s leadership and some other aspects of the interview made it evident that Congress party leaders, present or former, are still out of touch with the nation’s sentiments.
Bhagwa Atankwad: Congress’s dangerous flirtation with anti-Hindu rhetoric
During the interview, Mishra asked Shinde about his notorious “Bhagwa Atankwad” or “Saffron Terrorism” remark. It is a term coined, popularised, and exploited by Congress leaders to malign the Hindutva movement. Speaking to Mishra, Shinde admitted that the term was a mistake.
Question: Retirement के बाद आपको लगता है कि ‘भगवा आंतकवाद’ कहना ठीक था ?
— Shubhankar Mishra (@shubhankrmishra) October 18, 2024
Sushil Shinde : सच कहूं तो भगवा के आगे क्यों आंतकवाद लगाया मुझे नहीं पता। नहीं लगाना चाहिए था।#SushilShinde pic.twitter.com/qrxF6Z1WLF
He said, “I don’t know why the word ‘terrorism’ was used. It shouldn’t have been. It was wrong at that time.” However, this half-hearted admission does not excuse the damage caused by the Congress party’s irresponsible and baseless allegations against Hindus, which have only served to alienate the majority population.
Shinde attempted to downplay the issue and suggested that the term was coined based on certain records. He claimed that it was meant only for the party’s consumption, but the reality is that Congress leaders, including him, have often sought to demonise Hindutva to please the minority vote bank. Saffron, which is a sacred colour in Hinduism, was presented as a symbol of terrorism, and Shinde’s admission only highlighted the deep-seated anti-Hindu bias among Congress leadership.
Afzal Guru execution: A job Congress reluctantly handled
When Mishra questioned Shinde about the execution of terrorist Afzal Guru, he failed to acknowledge that Guru was linked to Islamic terrorism. He said, “The decision was made by the Supreme Court, and as Home Minister, it was my duty to implement that order.” When Mishra asked if he thought Guru was a terrorist, Shinde categorically asked not to put words in his mouth.
Sushilkumar Shinde: देश की कोर्ट के फ़ैसले के अनुसार हमने Afzal Guru फांसी दी।
— Shubhankar Mishra (@shubhankrmishra) October 18, 2024
Question: पर Supreme Court ने Afzal Guru को आतंकवादी मान कर फांसी दी थी। आप आंतकवादी मानते हैं ना ?
Shushilkumar Shinde: मेरे मुंह से ऐसा मत निकलवाइए#AfzhalGuru #SushilShinde pic.twitter.com/pPJcgq9YA6
This blunt answer and refusal to accept that Guru was indeed a terrorist revealed how Congress leaders feel uncomfortable taking strong stands against terrorists, especially when it comes to appeasing their base in Kashmir and the left-leaning section of society.
Afzal Guru was executed in 2013. The decision was long overdue, and the Congress-led Government of India dragged its feet for years in implementing it. Shinde’s repeated emphasis on the notion that he was only following the apex court’s orders reflects how the Congress party lacks the determination to deal with terrorism with an iron fist. Moreover, as Shinde distanced himself from the decision and presented it as merely a bureaucratic procedure, it exposed the reluctance within Congress to confront Islamic terrorism.
Kasab and the biryani meme: Congress’s weak response to Pakistan’s aggression
Shinde categorically denied any knowledge of 26/11 Mumbai attacks accused Ajmal Kasab being fed biryani in jail. He said that as he was not Home Minister at that time, he did not “know anything about that.” It was revealed by the prosecution that the “biryani” incident did not happen and was just a tactic to form public opinion. Despite this information being in the public domain, Shinde was reluctant to talk on the topic of Pakistan-sponsored Islamic terrorism.
Kasab’s case was not just about the 26/11 terrorist attack. It was about the larger issue of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in India. Congress failed to send a strong message following the attack. Instead of taking decisive action, the Congress-led Government of India was content with diplomatic hand-wringing. Not playing cricket is not the answer the people of India expected from the Congress party.
Notably, under the Modi government, India has demonstrated that it is capable of taking tough decisions and engaging in actions that show how to deal with terrorism the right way. Surgical strikes and the Balakot airstrike in response to terror attacks were a far cry from Congress’s inaction following the 26/11 terror attack.
Rahul Gandhi’s leadership: A liability, not an asset
One of the most glaring aspects of the interview was how Shinde went on to defend Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. It is a fact that since Rahul became one of the most relevant faces of the Congress party, it has failed to mark any major victories. Being defeated three times in Lok Sabha elections is not what Congress workers and voters would have expected.
Contrary to the facts, Shinde compared Rahul Gandhi’s political journey to that of Indira Gandhi. He stated that just as Indira was called a “dumb doll,” Rahul is being unfairly criticised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He said, “If he makes a mistake, he thinks about it and corrects it. That’s his biggest strength,” while desperately attempting to paint Rahul as a leader who learns from his failures.
The reality is far from the idealised portrayal of Rahul Gandhi by Shinde. Since Rahul became an important leader for the Congress party, it has seen disastrous performances in the 2014 and 2019 general elections. There have been issues, including a lack of vision, incoherent policies, and an inability to connect with the electorate under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership.
While Mallikarjun Kharge may be the current president of the Congress party, everyone knows who is running the show. Shinde’s comparison of Rahul to Indira Gandhi is not only laughable but also exposes Congress’s inability to recognise the root cause of its decline—its leadership crisis. The recent defeat in Haryana should be seen as a clear sign that the Congress party needs an overhaul, which it is unwilling to undertake.
Shinde on PM Modi: ‘A hard worker, but held back by his party’s ideology’
An interesting turn of events occurred during the interview when Shinde actually praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He admitted that Congress did not expect him to become PM of India, let alone win three times. He acknowledged that PM Modi is a tireless worker and said, “He is hardworking. He puts in a lot of effort, and I’ve observed that since then.” However, Shinde was quick to add that Modi’s potential is held back by the ideology of his party, the BJP. According to Shinde, if the party’s thinking did not limit him, PM Modi “could have achieved even more.”
Narendra Modi बहुत Hard Working है, बहुत कष्ट कर लेते हैं। मैंने उन्हें Himachal के चुनावों के प्रबंधन से काम करते हुए देखा है: Sushil Kumar Shinde #NarendraModi @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/7YRVhJ3wQp
— Shubhankar Mishra (@shubhankrmishra) October 19, 2024
Congress’s decline in Maharashtra: A party that has lost its way
Shinde’s comments on the upcoming Maharashtra elections only underline Congress’s increasing irrelevance in the state’s political landscape. Despite his attempts to paint a feel-good picture of Congress’s chances, Shinde’s remarks reveal a party that is struggling in the state. He expressed optimism about voters being “tired of the BJP’s politics of breaking alliances,” but failed to acknowledge that it is Congress’s own opportunism and lack of vision that have pushed the voters towards the NDA.
Shinde praised the Shiv Sena-Congress alliance as a strategic move during the interview. However, the truth is that Congress has been rapidly losing ground in Maharashtra and other states. Under the leadership of PM Modi, the BJP has continued to command massive support across the country, including Maharashtra. Shinde’s criticism of the BJP’s third-term victory, calling it a “decline in graph,” reeks of denial, as he fails to understand the clear mandate given to the BJP by the people, as it is a fact that all the opposition parties combined could not match the number of seats (240) that the BJP won during the Lok Sabha Elections. Furthermore, Haryana’s Assembly Elections results have further cemented that the Congress has continued to lose its voter base across the country.
A legacy of contradictions: Shinde’s selective admissions and Congress’s decline
The interview showed how Congress leaders are still living a life full of contradictions. While Shinde admitted in the interview that terms like “Saffron Terrorism” were mistakes, he failed to recognise the lasting damage they have caused. His defence of the Congress’s handling of national security issues, particularly the Afzal Guru execution and the Kasab case, reflects a party that continues to hide behind legalities and bureaucratic procedures rather than taking strong stances. Even though he praised Rahul Gandhi, it remains a fact that Congress is still struggling with leadership failures.
Notably, when asked about the abrogation of Article 370, he claimed that many in Kashmir still wish for Article 370 to be restored. His reasoning was that Umar Abdullah’s party came back to power. He also claimed that the remarks he made about going to Kashmir during his tenure as Home Minister were merely a joke and were blown out of proportion by the BJP. It was clear that he was trying to save his reputation, as he had admitted to being scared of going to Kashmir due to terrorist activities under Congress rule at the Centre.
Ultimately, Shinde’s interview is proof that Congress is still stuck in the past and lacks bold leadership. The party is not interested in taking responsibility for its actions or doing anything that may anger its minority voter base. So much so, Congress leaders do not even want to acknowledge that Afzal Guru was a terrorist. Congress and its current leadership are not bold enough to match the strength of PM Modi, which requires conviction, not confusion.
