The Congress on Thursday came down heavily on senior leader Janardan Dwivedi’s interpretation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election success as a “victory of Indian-ness,” ignoring his claims of being quoted out of context. “Narendra Modi can never be the symbol of Indian-ness,” the party’s communications in-charge Ajay Maken said, indicating disciplinary action.
Mr. Dwivedi, who sought to disentangle himself by explaining that he had never said the words attributed to him, also met A.K. Antony, chairman of the party’s Disciplinary Action Committee. No show cause was issued to him till late in the evening and party sources — some felt Mr. Maken may have been a bit too severe in his criticism of Mr. Dwivedi — ruled out harsh action.
Mr. Dwivedi also fired a salvo at those trying to project him in poor light. “I do not need a lesson from anyone on Indian-ness,” he said immediately after Mr. Maken’s hurriedly organised press conference.
“The Congress party does not agree a bit with what Mr. Dwivedi has said. The ideological stand of the Congress on ‘Indian-ness,’ ‘Bharatiyata’ and ‘Hindustaniyat’ is … rather totally opposite of what Mr. Dwivedi was trying to define yesterday,” Mr. Maken asserted after reading out a rather lengthy portion of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s convocation address on ‘Indianness’ at the Kashi Vidyapith on January 13, 1970, to articulate the party’s position on ‘Bharatiyata.’
On Wednesday, Mr. Dwivedi was quoted by an online news portal as stating that the Congress was facing a crisis and “my sincere analysis of the situation is that the 2014 Lok Sabha election was not a victory for the BJP or Mr. Modi but a loss for the Congress. Mr. Modi and the BJP were successful in communicating that they were closer to the people and so, in a way, this was a victory for Indianness.”
Mr. Dwivedi’s outburst is not seen as isolated or accidental by party insiders, and is representative of the increasing restiveness within the old guard unsure of its place in the emerging new order under vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Another party source said his statements were a result of the absence of a definitive agenda and the consequent confusion. “We need to address that fundamental deficiency rather than try to discipline him.”
Mr. Maken — campaign committee chairman for the Delhi elections — received a message from party president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday morning to suspend his campaign for a few hours and address the press.
Mr. Dwivedi, an influential leader under Ms. Gandhi, feels that the emerging configuration in the Congress will have no place for him. His clout in the party was such that when Ms Gandhi went abroad for treatment in 2011, he was a member of the four-member panel appointed to oversee party affairs, along with Rahul Gandhi, Ahmed Patel and Mr. Antony.
But Mr. Gandhi and Mr. Dwivedi did not develop any warmth, and the latter has been feeling left out of the decision-making process in the party, particularly in appointments, in which he used to have tremendous influence. \
BJP: come out of denial mode
Gargi Parsai adds
The BJP attacked the Congress for criticising Janardhan Dwivedi for his “positive” comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said the party was beset with inner rift. Accusing the Congress of forcing the veteran leader to “clarify” his comments, the BJP said instead of putting pressure on those who expressed their views, the party should come out of its “denial mode.”
