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A few months ago, eminent historian Ramachandra Guha argued that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress under his leadership have enabled the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and speeded up its own descent. The main argument was that Rahul Gandhi was an inept leader, who was inconsistent and lacked the required grit, determination and discipline.

A few days later, in an interview with Karan Thapar, Guha made the very same argument. Much of what he said is not new. He has held this position for some time, while simultaneously reiterating his intense dislike of the Narendra Modi-led BJP establishment. I believe Guha’s sharp comments come from a place of anxiety.

He feels there is an urgent need for a leadership shake-up and an attitudinal change within the Congress, especially if it is to pose a serious challenge to the BJP. Guha’s comments have led to a series of responses, many in defense of Rahul Gandhi. What caught my attention, though, was a word he used both in the column and the interview. A word that went unnoticed. Guha said, he believes Rahul Gandhi’s is a ‘decent’ person.

It has been a couple of months since Guha made his point and the country has since witnessed an upheaval. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests have dramatically changed the nature of our political conversations. During the protests, the Congress largely stayed away from Jantar Mantar. Rahul Gandhi himself did not go to the site.

But he held two press conferences alongside the students and other protesters. During these interactions, he did something unusual. The leader of the opposition did not hog........

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