Former Union minister Ashwani Kumar
NEW DELHI: Former Union minister Ashwani Kumar on Friday said there cannot be an effective opposition in the country without the Congress, but added that the party has “somewhere lost ground” and must revive itself as a “national obligation”.Speaking at the launch of his book Guardians of the Republic, Kumar said the Congress still has a crucial role in Indian democracy but needs to introspect. “Congress is a great party, and there cannot be an effective opposition in the country without it. It still has its influence across the country. But yes, somewhere it has lost ground,” he said.He said the party must focus on its own shortcomings instead of blaming rivals. “It must look inward for the weaknesses rather than finding fault with the opposition parties,” Kumar added.He also cautioned against viewing the present government in absolute terms. “The impression that this regime does everything wrong, that this prime minister does everything wrong, is also not correct,” Kumar said.Kumar also clarified his ideological position after leaving the Congress, saying he continues to respect the party and its leadership. “I may have left the party, but I have the highest personal respect for Sonia Gandhi for unfailingly maintaining civility and decency in public life. When there were so many people among whom she could choose to be a prime minister, she chose Manmohan Singh for his civility and dignity,” Kumar said.
