"Rahul Gandhi Turning Into Most Trustworthy, Credible Leader": AK Antony

Rahul Gandhi is a determined and courageous leader who is not swayed from his decisions by any adversity that comes his way, veteran Congress leader AK Antony said here on Friday.

Mr Antony said Rahul Gandhi, who had no interest in politics just like his father Rajiv Gandhi, was now fighting against the BJP not to become the Prime Minister, but to safeguard the basic structure of the Indian Constitution.

"He is turning into the most trustworthy and credible leader in India," he said.

The Congress stalwart was speaking at the release of a book on Rahul Gandhi by veteran mediaperson N Asokan.

Speaking at the event, which was held at Indira Bhavan here, Mr Antony fondly recalled the initial days of his political life, how he became close to the Nehru family and his memories about a young Rahul Gandhi whom he first saw at 'Shakti Sthal' memorial at Raj Ghat in Delhi, paying respects to Indira Gandhi after her assassination.

Mr Antony said the Nehru family is known for sacrificing their lives for the nation and both Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv were examples of it.

He said Indira Gandhi refused to remove her Sikh bodyguards despite being told that they posed a threat to her life.

"She gambled with her life to protect the secularism of our nation," Mr Antony said.

He further said Rajiv Gandhi was repeatedly asked by his wife Sonia Gandhi not to enter political life and take up the mantle of Congress leadership, but he did and, later, he too died tragically.

"I was AICC general secretary when I saw Rahul and Priyanka for the first time when they were paying respects at their grandmother's memorial. I saw them again, slightly more grown up, when they were paying respects to their father at his memorial," Mr Antony said.

He said that from a child, who lived like a bird in a cage surrounded by security personnel and experienced the grief of the untimely deaths of his grandmother and father, Rahul Gandhi has grown into the man he is now -- "determined and courageous." Antony said Mr Gandhi's determination was evident from how he took moral responsibility for the party's loss in 2019 and resigned as Congress president, refusing to return to that position despite entreaties from everyone, including his mother.

"It was also seen when he walked over 3,000 km from Kanyakumari to Srinagar as part of the Bharat Jodo Yatra and when he refused to return from Manipur without meeting the affected people and visiting violence-hit areas," the Congress stalwart said.

"Whatever be the adversity, once he takes a decision, he is not swayed from it. It is his determination that brought together 28 parties under the INDIA bloc. The Congress decided to contest only from 300 seats in the LS polls as he was of the view that it was more important to defeat BJP than winning more seats," Mr Antony added.

He urged everyone to buy the book and read it.

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