A Pause for Throat: Loud Crackers Interrupt Sonia Gandhi's Last Speech as Congress President

New Delhi: Just as outgoing Congress chief Sonia Gandhi took the stage and had barely uttered her first words, “This is the last time I speak as the Congress President”, over enthusiastic party workers drowned her voice with loud firecrackers, much to the irritation of senior party leaders present at the ceremony of Rahul Gandhi’s elevation as the Congress President.

The senior Gandhi paused for a while hoping that the party workers will get the hint, but to no avail. The incessant cracker noise continued and a visibly miffed, but poised Sonia Gandhi waited at the dais.

This time, Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi rushed to her rescue and appealed to the jubilant party workers to stop bursting crackers immediately, as the Congress chief was unable to speak.

Dwivedi’s appeal, too, didn’t work, much to the amusement of people who were watching the event live on national television. Meanwhile, BJP leaders did not waste any time to latch onto the opportunity to poke fun at the Congress’ management of such a big-ticket event.

The drama at 24 Akbar Road went on for a good two minutes and Sonia Gandhi ultimately said “I can’t shout” and kept waiting for the noise to go down.

The disturbance was so much so that Dwivedi’s seat at the dais remained vacant for a good part of the ceremony as he had to constantly go outside and request party workers to tone down the celebrations.

She resumed her speech after the party workers finally got the message. Choosing to speak in Hindi, she referred to the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and said how she was never inclined towards joining politics, but ultimately did, “keeping in mind the interests of the party and the nation”.

Speaking on her son, Rahul Gandhi’s journey to the Congress President’s post, she said, “He has faced terrible personal attacks, but has only emerged stronger.”