Intent of Priyanka's Vellore visit

Priyanka's visit to a Vellore jail to meet Nalini, a prime accused in her father's assassination raises brows as Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy accuses that it was a political stint mastered just before the general elections to attract votes.


IN MEETING Nalini Sriharan, who is serving a life sentence for her involvement in Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is being projected as carrying forward the attempts made by her mother to bridge the emotional and political hiatus that may have contributed in the alienation of certain communities or groups from the Congress.

However, by raising controversy over her visit and being silent on her very purpose of the visit, she is yet to reveal her real intentions. This has given scope for speculation that she is looking for a political role of her own, in the event of her brother Rahul Gandhi failing to make a mark in the national politics.

Though Priyanka is known as to be a more accepted public figure from the Nehru-Gandhi family, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had chosen her son Rahul Gandhi to carry the torch, keeping Priyanka at home.

Though Rahul is making sincere efforts to build-up his political image, he is yet to deliver results. Both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi failed to prove themselves as vote-catchers. Unlike Indira Gandhi, their presence is merely limits to keep the party together.

At this juncture, ahead of general elections, Congress is looking for alternate electoral strategies. Though Rahul Gandhi has been projected as Prime Ministerial candidate, unofficially, he is yet to catch the image of the ’future prime minister’ in the public’s minds.

As Priyanka’s looks are similar to her grandmother Indira Gandhi, it seems she is exploring the options for a political role. So far she is not showing interest in a political role. Mostly due to her emotional differences with her mother who is said to be keeping her away from power-politics, and just letting her extend emotional support to her brother Rahul.

The real intentions behind Priyanka’s Vellore visit are yet to be clarified in view of several political theories spreading round the corner. Whatever may be her intentions, the visit has exposed several unanswered questions surrounding Rajiv’s murder. The controversy that arose after her visit is also likely to hamper Congress relations with Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamilnadu.

Contending that Priyanka Vadra’s recent visit to a high-security prison in Vellore to meet the killer of her father was a criminal offense, Janata Party president Dr Subramanian Swamy has asked the Tamilnadu government to prosecute her on the charge of trespassing.

’’If the Tamilnadu government fails to do so by May 21, I shall file a private complaint in the court to enforce the police to do its statutory duty,’’ Swamy said in a statement. He said jail officials had confirmed that Vadra visited the ’’highly restricted’’ prison housing death row terrorists without getting the requisite permission, which is a criminal offence.


Priyanka had issued a signed statement that her visit to the jail was absolutely personal, and it should be respected. However,Priyanka had not disclosed the real reasons for the ’’one-to-one meeting’’ with Nalini and has said, ’’All media reports about their dialogue are second hand and third hand versions and pure hearsay.’’

“If she wanted to tell the nation the truth about who contracted the LTTE to kill her father,she can begin by telling the nation about her father’s last phone call from Visakhapatnam’s to her and the details of the conversations that took place,” Swamy said and added ’’She should also investigate who persuaded Rajiv Gandhi to campaign in Seriperumbudur when even the local Congress candidate did not ask for it, and how his travel schedule became known to Sivarasan and to the LTTE even before the local police was informed of his visit.’’

Swamy said Priyanka should also ask her mother Sonia Gandhi why the UPA government had abandoned the demand for extradition of LTTE supremo V Prabhakaran and his lieutenant, Pottu Amman, who are still Accused No 1 and 2 respectively in the trial court charge sheet.

He said the commutation of Nalini’s death sentence to life imprisonment was ’’illegally’’ done in 2000 by the NDA government at the centre and the DMK government in Tamilnadu by asking the governor to proclaim it. Only the president of India can grant such pardon under the Constitution.


’’Hence, if any move is made by Vadra to free Nalini from prison for some quid pro quo, I shall file a PIL against the same...’’ he concluded.

Narendra Ch, 18 April 2008, Friday