Appreciate attacks by opponents as I learn from them: Rahul

Ahead of his maiden visit to the UAE, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said he appreciates attacks from his opponents like Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he learns from them.

In an exclusive interview to Gulf News, the Congress chief said, "I learn from my grandmother, I learn from my father and I learn from Modi Ji. I am an open system, I listen. There are people who have taught me a lot but in general, I learn a lot from my opponents and friends. When your opponent says something, the natural reaction is anger and then when you have anger, you don't listen to what they are saying. So, what I do is remove the anger. Then I listen and I say ok, that's interesting, there is some truth to what he is saying. Mr Narendra Modi has a lot of anger and a lot of what he says about me comes from that anger. But there are certain things that he says which I listen to."

On being asked by the Gulf News editor, who came to Delhi for Rahul's interview, to respond on being labelled as "Pappu", the Gandhi scion said that he does not get disturbed by this title.

"The best gift that I have received was 2014. I have learnt from it like I couldn't have learnt from anything else. The more difficult my opponents make my life, the harder it is for me, the better it is for me. I don't get disturbed by this [Pappu]. I appreciate the attacks from my opponents and I learn from them," he said.

Rahul is arriving in the UAE on January 11, where he will address Indian diaspora at Dubai International Cricket Stadium as part of a global outreach programme.