Rahul Speaks To Arnab

27th January, 2014.

Venue - Times Now 

On one corner - Arnab Goswami known to kachha chabaaoing politicians for dinner daily (Avijit Mukherjee, Meenakshi Lekhi et al will testify)

On the second corner - Rahul Gandhi

So live blogging a political interview. After all जंगल में चुनाव आने वाले हैं. So blog heading to some political frontiers now. Random thoughts which come into my mind while watching the same

• 1st impression - Rahul Gandhi sounds like a very nervous engineering student trying to remember random theorems and formulae while being grilled by the whole bunch of sadist professors. Also resorting to the same old trick. Answer what you know, need not be the right answer.
• Why is the interview being held in 3rd person? Arnab - "what does Mr. Rahul Gandhi have to say about...." Rahul - "Rahul Gandhi thinks... Rahul Gandhi wants to do...." Highly annoying.
• Arnab is giving him space to speak. I am amused, not surprised. Arnab is trapping him. And he is walking into the well laid trap. In India you don't talk 2002 Gujarat and expect not to be roasted for 1984 Sikh riots.
• Mr. Gandhi can go on and on about his grand mother and father and their sacrifice. But where is his opinion?
• Sorry Mr. Gandhi every riot is a crime. And there is no distinction between any for the brutality and criminality. "Govt. of Gujarat was abetting the riots"- Ok NaMo fans... A-A-K-R-A-M-A-N. 
• "I was not involved in the 1984 riots" - Well thank you for clarifying your innocence. 
• He is sounding worse and worse with every passing minute. DISASTER Alert
• See Mr. Goswami, this is what happens when you let people speak. They provide better entertainment. Brilliantly conducted interview Sir.
• Questions are being asked asked. Answers are being given. But the connection seems to have missing. Reminding me more and more of the grand vivas during the engineering days.
• Arnab defending press. "The press does not rule the country". And Rahul jumping back on his words.
• RTI, RTI, RTI. We passed Lokpal bill. All questions lead to an RTI. Irony Alert - From a representative of the party leading the government faced with Himalayan scale corruption charges.
• Theme of the interview - "We have to change... We have to do...We want to bring in young people..." but where were you for the past ten years? You can't pretend to be opposing the system which you are heading?
• "I still have faith in the prime minister" - WOW, Good to hear that
• "Giving haircuts to the bald". Arnab G changes the metaphor. of course he can do what he wants.
• "Congress is a very powerful organisation... it needs to undergo some transformation" - Frankly I am scared of this power. 
• "I am absolutely against the concept of dynasty" -  Irony killed itself
• I am actually beginning to feel sorry for Rahul Gandhi now. The same pity I feel when I see Suresh Raina trying to face a bouncer.
• RG trying to smile his way out of trouble. Worked for Joe Root, whose "cute" smile prevented Mitchell Johnson from sledging him. [Aside - England still got hammered in the Ashes]
• RG's thoughts - Arnab is asking questions which are out of syllabus
• RG - "Maybe you find me strange". AG - "I don't find you strange" - Hilarious
• How many "one last question" were asked.
• Positives for RG -  Credit him for gutsing it out. Sounds sincere but not the leader who will give me my Civics textbook India.

Final comment. Arnab brilliant but Rahul Gandhi disappointed. Social media rejoicing 

P.S. waiting for more such interviews.