The Congress on Monday said senior leaders, including those who have been “nominated” to the Congress Working Committee, should maintain discipline and avoid discussing the party’s internal issues on public platforms.
The party’s statement came a day after Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, in an interview, claimed that the Congress party’s structure had “collapsed ” and needed to be rebuilt by having elected leaders from block to CWC-level. He also said “five-star culture” had seeped in the party and the leaders had lost ground connect.
“The nominated senior leaders have access to the party leadership. They can just pick up the phone and call anybody instead of speaking publicly,” Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera told reporters in a virtual press briefing without naming Mr. Azad but responding to a question on the LoP’s remarks.
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‘All platforms available’
“These leaders had taught us discipline and how to work in the organisation. So, today when they speak in public, we are shocked. All platforms are available within the party. They are also members of the CWC, nominated members since many years. They have also been Ministers in governments and got different responsibilities in the party,” he said, adding that the Congress had internal mechanisms to discuss all issues, including the recent Bihar poll and by-elections results.
The veteran Congress leader was also targeted by other party leaders, including Haryana MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi, Youth Congress president Srinivas B.V. and party spokesperson Gaurav Vallabh.
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In a video message posted on Twitter, Mr. Bishnoi, an MLA from the Adampur constituency and the younger son of former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, accused Mr. Azad of “hatching a conspiracy with political rivals to break the Congress and betraying the Gandhi family”.
“I want to tell Azad sahib that we will not let the conspiracy he is hatching with the rival parties to break the Congress succeed,” Mr Bishnoi said in a video message that was posted on his Twitter handle.
Mr. Bishnoi said while Mr. Azad won only three polls — Lok Sabha twice and and Assembly poll once – the Gandhi family had nominated him to the Rajya Sabha five times.
“Azad claims there is five-star culture in the party which is wrong. He himself lives in five stars and never interacts with workers. We have always met him in five stars. The party should throw him out along with Kapil Sibal and Anand Sharma. They are trying to divide Congress at the behest of BJP,”said two former Haryana Ministers, Subhash Batra and Krishan Murti Hooda, at a press conference.