Cong must reinvent itself: Sam

Sam Pitroda, who worked with Rajiv Gandhi on modernising Indian telecom, said on Monday that it was time for the Congress to 8216;8216;reinvent8217;8217; itself in order to regain lost political ground. Addressing reporters at the Congress Bhavan here, Pitroda said: 8216;8216;Organisations are like individuals and need to reinvent themselves from time to time. The Congress is at a stage when it has to learn to reinvent itself.8217;8217;

Quoting the example of UK8217;s Labour Party, he said one of the key elements of the change would be to place greater faith in the younger generation: 8216;8216;In a country where 50 per cent of the people are below 30 years, we need young people in the mainstream. I admit it shortage of youth members is a problem in the party. It cannot be ruled and managed by people in their seventies.8221;

Dismissing the NDA Government8217;s claim of initiating the country8217;s progress, Pitroda said: 8216;8216;It was during late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi8217;s time that many seeds were planted, which are flowering now. Just laying the final coat of paint does not entitle anyone to claim that they laid the foundation.8217;8217;

But Pitroda admitted that the telecom sector has been successful.