NEW DELHI: As the Congress struggles to handle the crisis in Punjab, the disgruntled G-23 raised questions over the unsettled leadership issue, with veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad writing to interim chief Sonia Gandhi urging to immediately call the Congress Working Committee (CWC) to discuss the situation in the party in the wake of exodus of leaders.
Another senior leader, Kapil Sibal, took barbs at the party brass while addressing the media, as he talked of continued leadership vacuum. “In our party, at the moment there is no president. So, we don’t know who is taking these decisions. We know and yet we don’t know,” he said.
Sibal said he was speaking on behalf of those Congressmen who wrote the letter in August last year and were still waiting for action to be taken by party leadership in respect of the elections of the office of the party president, to CWC and central election committee.
“We are G-23, definitely not Ji Huzoor-23. We will keep raising issues,” Sibal said, adding that it was heart-breaking to see the party in the current mess and there was a need for introspection. “We are not the ones who will leave the ideology of the party and go elsewhere. It is ironic that closest of their aides have left and those they thought were not theirs, are still with the party and are seeking to strengthen it,” he said.
The former Union minister quoted Mahatma Gandhi to make his point that there should not be any monopolies and ‘dialogue’ should be welcomed. “In a vast country like this there must be room for all schools of thought…listen to our point of view. If you don’t accept it, fine, but at least listen…Allow us that dialogue... No monopolies should be created in the power structures of any country or a party.”
Sibal said what was happening in the Congress in Punjab would give an advantage to Pakistan and the ISI.
Reacting to Sibal’s ourbursts, Congress general secretary Ajay Maken said leaders should not denigrate the organisation that gave them political identity. He rejected Sibal’s contention about leadership crisis, saying Sonia Gandhi continued to lead the party.
Chhattisgarh MLAs Fly to delhi
Raipur: Amid the ongoing political crisis in Punjab, 15 Chhattisgarh Congress MLAs suddenly left for Delhi on Wednesday evening, re-igniting speculations on rotational chief ministership issue. Most of the MLAs cited the trip as “personal”, but sources conceded it would be too much of a coincidence that all 15 have individual engagements in Delhi at the same time. “We are also visiting Delhi to meet the AICC in-charge P L Punia to apprise him about the situation in the state,” said one of the MLAs. However, Punia said he was in Lucknow and there was no programme to meet the Chhattisgarh MLAs in Delhi. The MLAs might be visiting to reiterate their support for CM Bhupesh Baghel, some sources said.