Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi is currently on a foreign tour. (File photo)

Pankaj Shankar on Rahul Gandhi: In what has left the Congress top brass red-faced, a former close aide of Rahul Gandhi has questioned the former party president’s leadership skills and said that despite spending 15 years in politics his ‘internship’ is still continuing.

Pankaj Shankar, who was part of Rahul Gandhi’s core team and worked closely with him for years, said there was no dearth of talented leaders in the party while questioning the working ‘pattern’ of the Congress leader. He laid the blame for Congress’ slide on Sonia Gandhi.

Shankar stressed that it was high time that Priyanka Gandhi should be handed over the control of the party.

“Who brought Rahul Gandhi into politics in 2004? It was Priyanka Gandhi. I don’t know for what reasons Priyanka is being stopped from taking up the top job in the party. Who is stopping her? She has been active in the party since 2004,” Shankar told ABP News.

WATCH VIDEO: Pankaj Shankar slams Rahul Gandhi

Shankar, who had worked as an advisor in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, said he has no “personal animosity” towards Rahul Gandhi, but he needs to be told about what is wrong with the party. He said that the Congress’ leadership had completely disassociated itself with the ground workers.

“There is a coterie around Rahul Gandhi which obstructs him to interact with the party workers,” he went on to add.

Shankar’s outburst has come at a time when Rahul Gandhi is on a foreign ‘meditation trip’. “Mr. Gandhi has gone from time to time in the past on meditation visits. He is currently on one such visit,” Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala had said. The Congress has planned nation-wide protests against the BJP-led government at the Centre over various issues, however, Rahul Gandhi is unlikely to attend.

Rahul Gandhi, who had stepped down as Congress president following the party’s disastrous show in Lok Sabha elections 2019, has gone on a similar tour in the middle of campaigning for the Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly elections. Gandhi’s frequent foreign trips have been used by the BJP to label him as a “reluctant politician”.