Kamal Nath tells Aap Ki Adalat, let Priyanka decide when she would like to join politics

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath today said it was up to Priyanka Vadra and her family to decide when she should join politics. Replying to queries in Rajat Sharma's show Aap Ki Adalat (to be telecast on India TV tonight), Kamal Nath was asked why party leaders are trying to prevent Priyanka Vadra from joining politics. “We are not preventing. Priyanka Gandhi ji must decide herself. She would have to decide in which manner she wants to join politics. Her family will have to decide. No doubt, we can ask her, and we may like her, but I can't decide on behalf of her and her family.” When a participant said inducting Priyanka was the demand of the youths, Kamal Nath remarked with a big smile: “The demand of youths will be fully respected.” On the factors behind the recent electoral debacle, Kamal Nath said: “There is no single reason behind such a huge defeat. Every state had its own reason. Our party is going to introspect, as we have to contest more elections. “Ours is a 135-year-old party. We are not going to sit idle by saying ‘Modiji aa gaye, hum ghar baith gaye'. This is not going to happen, and the BJP should also not expect the same from us”, he said. Kamal Nath said he had a long meeting recently with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. “I had a long meeting with Rahul ji. He is eager to carry out introspection, because after all, every political party should act as a guardian of people's interests. As an opposition, we want to act as a guardian for those whose voices are not heard.” The senior Congress leader admitted that the party's election campaign did not click. He went to the extent of saying that even if Narendra Modi had not been there, the Congress tally would have declined. “One thing is clear: our campaign did not click. Our message did not reach the people. Particularly, the first time voters wanted change. Even in politics, there is an ‘expiry date' and a shelf life. People wanted change, and there was a big wave for change. “Even if Modi ji had not been there, and had the Congress campaign clicked, we would not have won the number of seats that we had won earlier, because a huge wave for change had taken shape.” Kamal Nath lambasted the BJP for opposing talks with Pakistan, when it was in the opposition, and then inviting Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as soon as it came to power. “The very same BJP which used to demand ‘no talks with Pakistan' over the beheading of our jawans, invited their PM as soon as it came to power. They changed their stance on the first day itself.” When Rajat Sharma pressed whether the decision to invite Sharif was right or wrong, Kamal Nath replied: “ This is not a question of right or wrong. We want cordial relations with all our neighbours, and there's nothing wrong in inviting their leaders on such occasions. But then, they (BJP) should not say later, and should not have said earlier, that we should not talk to Pakistan. “They (BJP) had even objected to our Prime Minister speaking to their PM over phone three years ago. Today, the same leaders are inviting them to dinner, and hugging them, and exchanging shawls. “What will Nawaz Sharif think? He will believe that a party has come to power, which used to oppose talks with them. What impression will go out?” When Rajat Sharma again pressed by asking whether inviting Sharif was right or wrong, Kamal Nath replied: “They should invite all, but then they should apologize for their earlier stance.” Kamal Nath raised the issue of Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani's educational qualifications. “The entire teaching community is concerned. Some of them spoke to me. A principal told me, look, we have done our PhD and our minister is not even a graduate. If the entire educational fraternity is concerned, then how could our party remain silent.” When Rajat Sharma raised Rahul Gandhi's educational qualification, Kamal Nath replied: “He (Rahul) did not become the HRD Minister. An HRD Minister has to deal with principals, vice-chancellors. Any vice-chancellor that would go to the minister will say, well, she is not a graduate.” When Rajat Sharma said Smriti Irani wanted people to evaluate her performance, and not her qualifications, Kamal Nath replied: “Theek Hai. Kaam dekho, par yeh baat logon ko lagi” (Okay, let's watch her performance. But the people did feel) Aap Ki Adalat with Kamal Nath will be telecast tonight (Saturday, June 7) at 10 pm on India TV, and will be repeated tomorrow (Sunday, June 8) at 10 am and 10 pm.