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 ‘‘reinvent’’ itself in order to regain lost political ground. Addressing reporters at the Congress Bhavan here, Pitroda said: ‘‘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.’’

Quoting the example of UK’s Labour Party, he said one of the key elements of the change would be to place greater faith in the younger generation: ‘‘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.”

Dismissing the NDA Government’s claim of initiating the country’s progress, Pitroda said: ‘‘It was during late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’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.’’

But Pitroda admitted that the telecom sector has been successful.