- PM Modi visit USAOnly the mirror in my washroom and phone gallery see the crazy me : Sara KhanKarnataka rain fury: Photos of flooded streets, uprooted treesCannes 2022: Deepika Padukone stuns at the French Riviera in Sabyasachi outfitRanbir Kapoor And Alia Bhatt's Wedding Pics - Sealed With A KissOscars 2022: Every Academy Award WinnerShane Warne (1969-2022): Australian cricket legend's life in picturesPhotos: What Russia's invasion of Ukraine looks like on the groundLata Mangeshkar (1929-2022): A pictorial tribute to the 'Nightingale of India'PM Modi unveils 216-feet tall Statue of Equality in Hyderabad (PHOTOS)
The 18-year-old, Chirag Chikkara clinched a gold medal in the men’s freestyle 57kg categ
- FIFA president Infantino confirms at least 9 African teams for the 2026 World Cup
- Hockey, cricket, wrestling, badminton, squash axed from 2026 CWG in Glasgow
- FIFA : Over 100 female footballers urge FIFA to reconsider partnership with Saudi oil giant
- Ecuador ready to make history against Uruguay: Beccacece
- Divanshi wins second gold as India sweep women's 25m standard pistol at Lima Junior Worlds
Modi obsession one of our biggest mistakes: Goa AAP leader Last Updated : 28 Apr 2017 02:44:15 PM IST file photo
The AAP's chief spokesperson in Goa, Oscar Rebello, says a key reason for the party's electoral failures is its "obsession" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In an article published on a local website, Rebello says the sacking of former party stalwarts Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan as well as expecting a popular groundswell for the anti-corruption crusade could have led to the AAP's poor showing in recent state elections.
Rebello was one of the chief campaigners for the Aam Aadmi Party in Goa in the February 4 election.
In his signed article, however, Rebellow says that it was unfair to write AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's obituary just yet and that the AAP co-founder would not "just fade off into the sunset, like an ageing Clint Eastwood".
"Crushing black economy is the life blood of AAP and demonetisation should have been welcomed, with caveats of course, but our blind rage of Modi-Shah blinded us to the obvious," Rebello said, citing that AAP's obsession with Modi as the most significant mistake.
Rebello, however, said Modi and BJP President Amit Shah were "cleverly eviscerating democracy" by undermining institutional mechanisms, one after the other.
"First our mistakes: And mistakes we did like all well-meaning, idealistic fools who thought that fighting the system was as simple as Amitabh Bachchan, singlehandedly knocking out the bad guys in his movies," he said.
The sacking of AAP co-founders Yadav and Bhushan "alienated swathes of public movement followers across the country", Rebello said.
"Bhushan and Yogendra can't pretend to be angels as they assiduously tried to sabotage AAP chances in Delhi 2015. But their ugly, public ejection horrified us and did far more damage to brand AK rather than the holier than thou Bhushan-Yogendra," Rebello said.
Calling the AAP's anti-corruption crusade as a "one-trick pony", Rebello said "Brand Modi" had captured the imagination of the Hindutva rightwing and the conservative Hindu for now.
"The 'secular' brigade comprising of liberal Hindus, Christians and Muslims are in so much terror of the undeclared Hindu Rashtra training upon us that they are looking at the most realistic option, available, to beat the BJP be it Congress-NCP-Trinamool, stuffed with charlatans or not. Our brand of being one-trick ponies on the anti-corruption crusade are finding no riders," he says.
Rebello said it was unfair to parade Team AK and AAP as "desh-drohis" by the electronic media, adding that selfless party volunteers were "combative, committed and completely convinced" by the dream of a better India and were being led from the front by Kejriwal.
"Of course, he (Kejriwal) could be exasperating and short tempered, he could never suffer fools easily and perhaps suffered from a pinch of paranoia like any leader in the spotlight.
"But that was because he was human not evil, as the world now seems to suggest. Arvind, like any great leader, has sacrificed so much. Family and career, financial security, even his health," Rebello said.
IANS For Latest Updates Please-
Join us on
Follow us on
172.31.16.186