BHUBANESWAR: With disciplinary action against senior leader and former Cuttack MLA Mohammed Moquim almost certain following his outburst against party high command including AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, the state Congress seems to be split wide open on the issue.
Moquim had raised hackles after he shot off a letter to former Congress president Sonia Gandhi accusing OPCC chief Bhakta Charan Das of pushing the party into a pit with Rahul and Kharge contributing to the declining fortunes in the state.
Several senior leaders including former OPCC president Jayadev Jena criticised Moquim’s remarks while others like Narasingha Mishra said he had the right to raise issues concerning the party. Jena said there was nothing wrong in having differences with state party chief Das and raising organisational matters following the humiliating defeat in the recent Nuapada bypoll. However, Moquim had crossed a line by targeting the high command.
“His statements against Rahul Gandhi and Kharge should be seen as anti-party activities,” Jena said, adding he should not have raised questions on the age of Kharge and also not made his letter public. “It appears that Moquim is preparing to leave the party,” Jena said.
Former MP Ananta Prasad Sethy joined Jena in questioning the motive of Moquim behind making his letter to Sonia public. “I strongly disapprove what Moquim has said about Rahul Gandhi and party president Kharge,” he said.
Former MLA Suresh Kumar Routray and OPCC vice-president Santosh Singh Saluja also attacked Moquim over the issue saying, speaking against the high command was against principles of the Congress.
On the other hand, veteran leader Narasingha Mishra has come in support of Moquim. “Any Congress member has a right to raise organisational matters with the high command and Moquim has done so. Making the letter public after raising the matter in internal forum is also not wrong. Moquim must have raised the issue internally as he is a member of the political affairs committee and later made the letter public,” he said.