Politicians' true wealth lies beyond simple attire and torn shoes, says Rahul Gandhi

Kozhikode (Kerala): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday that certain politicians cannot be judged based on their simple attire or less expensive watches, as they are "too smart" to conceal their true assets from public scrutiny. While launching a book on the late Muslim League leader P Seethi Haji here, Gandhi said that certain politicians' true nature can be discerned by observing their children.

"I meet many politicians, and as you know, they are very smart people. Today's politicians will only show you what they want to show you. "Sometimes, when they come to meet me, they come wearing simple clothes, no expensive watches, and torn shoes. When you go to their homes, they have big BMWs there. These guys are too smart. They know what you are looking for," Gandhi said. He said that while politicians can hide aspects of themselves through clothing and accessories, "the truth cannot be hidden when it comes to their children." As a result, he had to come up with a new method to judge these persons quickly and accurately, he said.

The former Congress chief claimed to have developed this "bulletproof" method of evaluating or judging people after spending about 18 years in the political arena, interacting with politicians of various kinds. "It took me 18 years to find a bulletproof way where it would be impossible for a person to hide the truth about himself or herself. I ask them to send their children to me. With the children, the truth cannot be hidden," Gandhi said after releasing a book titled -- 'Speeches of Late P Seethi Haji in the Kerala Legislative Assembly'. Haji was an Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader and the government chief whip in the 9th Kerala Legislative Assembly. Gandhi said that while he did not know much about Haji as he had never met him, by looking at his son -- P K Basheer -- he could judge what kind of person the late IUML leader was.

"I am saying this because he (Basheer) is an imprint of his father. So, I can know his father by looking at him. Nothing can be hidden," he said. Gandhi said that during the 2019 LS polls, he noticed that Basheer was someone who was dynamic and also close to the people. During his speech, the Congress MP from Wayanad also said that if a leader was not humble and could not self-introspect, "then he cannot be a leader." He said that from the speeches of other leaders at the event, he was able to understand that Haji was a person who did not take himself very seriously and was able to self-introspect and laugh at himself.