Rahul Gandhi mocks political opponents' love for limelight

Kannur (Kerala): Taking a dig at his political opponents in Delhi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the leadership in the national capital would like to turn all loudspeakers and cameras in their direction, but he prefers to turn the microphone to the people.

Addressing a gathering after presenting the first Priyadarshini Literary Award by KPCC to renowned writer T Padmanabhan here, he said politicians are quite a funny variety of people, and loudspeakers are always facing them.

"It (loudspeakers) is not facing the crowd because we like to hear ourselves speak. Every time I go there, I have to turn the speakers the other way. I think, in today's India, it is very important that the speaker is allowed to be turned the other way. Because, if you look at your leadership in Delhi, all loudspeakers and cameras are pointed in this direction," Gandhi said.

He said that there is, of course, a big difference between writers like Padmanabhan and politicians like him.

"It is much easier for Padmanabhan to speak the truth than it is for politicians. That is something which he has done in his whole life without exception," he said.

The Wayanad MP also urged politicians to aspire to be like writers, who speak whatever truth comes to their minds. However, Gandhi admitted that it was a much "harder job."