Firstly, full credit where it is due: Rahul Gandhi triggered a democratic revolution within the party by taking a bold call. He deserves congratulations for it. Tragically, however, a year later the Congress or the CWC has blatantly ignored his request. Unknown to him (RG) perhaps, but this is causing enormous injury to his image. A year-plus since, and we have a leadership vacuum. This at a time when the Modi government has proved to be a monumental catastrophe; India has a crippled economy, national security crisis (amateurish ham-handed response to China), a humanitarian crisis ( 85 million migrants whose lives are disrupted ) and the Covid-19 pandemic which is rising to alarming levels ( India will cross 1 million mark sooner than later). But surprisingly, Mr. Modi still remains popular. If Congress cannot read between the lines here, it is a recipe called political suicide.