Maya, Sushma women of substance, says Sonia Gandhi

London, Mar 19: In politics there are no rivals or friends, there is only business. The truth of the statement again came to the fore when Congress President Sonia Gandhi, referred to arch-rivals Mayawati and Sushma Swaraj as symbols of women empowerment. The reference becomes more significant because, Ms Gandhi said that before a global audience and on foreign shores.

The Times of India has quoted Sonia Gandhi as saying at the London Commonwealth lecture on Mar 17, "The chief minister of India's most populous state is a woman from a section of society subjected to discrimination for centuries." What is even more surprising is the fact that her name was mentioned in the same breath as the President of India, Speaker of the Lok Sabha and also the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, all women.

Ms Gandhi never really known to toe the conventional line in politics has once again surprised analysts with her comments as the grand old party of India, which she leads is fighting a bitter battle for revival against Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh.

Digvijay Singh, General Secretary of the AICC was quoted by the Times of India as saying, "That is the kind of statesmanship Nehru-Gandhi family is known for."

Whatever the motive might be in the statement, it really deserves an applaud considering the fact that such grace has been a rare occurrence in Indian polity where leaders often do not even pause before firing salvos at their counter-parts.

OneIndia News