Is Stern Face the Sign of a Leader?: Vijay Rupani's Daughter on His 'Soft Image'

Radhika Rupani took exception to those who had opined that the her father's soft spoken nature led to his unseating.

A day after the resignation of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Saturday, 11 September, the politician's daughter, Radhika Rupani, took exception to those who had opined that her father's soft nature had led to his unseating.

"Yesterday I read a news headline – Vijaybhai's soft spoken image worked against him. I have to ask a question to them, shouldn't politicians keep sensitivity, decency? Isn't it a necessary quality we need in a leader? Soft spoken image is a personality that people of all levels of society can come and meet easily? Where there is a matter of bullying or crime, they have taken strict steps. From CM dashboard to land grabbing act, love jihad, GUJCOCA, liquor ban is the proof, but roaming with serious and heavy face all day is the sign of the leader?"

Radhika Rupani

Rupani's remarks on Facebook, in Gujarati, come as a variety of speculations had surfaced over the cause behind the former chief minister's premature exit.

'Leaving the Post Without Greed of Power More Courageous': Radhika Rupani

Radhika Rupani, in her social media post on Sunday, suggested that assessing her father's career merely in terms of the positions would be, for her, an insufficient analysis.

"According to [political specialists], father's tenure started from one worker and then is limited to chairman, mayor, rajya sabha member, chairman of tourism, BJP president, chief minister etc. but in my view, father's tenure started from 1979 Morbi, Amreli Ativrushti, Kutch earthquake, Swaminarayan temple terrorist attack, Godhra scandal, Banaskantha's oversight, Taukte, even in COVID, father is on his toes," she stated.

"My father was the first person to visit even before Modiji visited the premises during the terrorist attack on Swaminarayan temple. I was taken along so that I could experience reality and folk dialogue. Very few people will know that at the time of Taukte and Corona's great crisis, by staying awake till 2:30 pm, father made all the arrangements via CM dashboard and calls."

Radhika Rupani

Rupani, who reportedly lives in London, said in the post that her father had always emphasised on simple living and simple dressing.

"In childhood we never enjoyed Sundays in racecourses or in theatres. Mom and dad took us to any two BJP workers' houses. This was their custom," she said.

"There have been many discussions in our household that when so much corruption, negativity is prevalent in Indian politics, then simple personality and simple nature - will it survive? Will it be enough? But father has always said one thing, that politics and leader's image has been made like goons and swachhandi people from Indian movies and age-old perceptions, we have to change the same perception," Radhika Rupani stated in the post.

"In our opinion, according to the principles of the RSS and the BJP, rather than those of Nuisance or Resistance, leaving the post easily without greed of power is more courageous than anything else!!" she asserted.