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Ghulam Nabi Azad and the group of dissenting Congress leaders met in J&K on Saturday
New Delhi:
As the Congress faces a crucial April-March period, with elections in our states and a union territory, a group of senior Congress leaders – part of the G-23 that triggered a rift in the party last year after they questioned the Gandhis’ leadership style – shared a stage at an event in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, in what has been viewed as a sharp reminder for the central leadership.
The group included now-retired Rajya Sabha MP Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kapil Sibal, former Union Minister Anand Sharma, Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha, Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and actor-politician Raj Babbar.
“The truth is that we see the Congress getting weak. That is why we have gathered. We gathered earlier too and we have to strengthen the party together,” Mr Sibal said.
This also comes days after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s controversial remark about Kerala voters triggered furious pushback from the BJP and guarded criticism from Mr Sibal, who cautioned Mr Gandhi and the party about alienating electors.
“Be it Jammu or Kashmir or Ladakh, we respect all religions, people and castes. We respect everyone equally… that is our strength and we will continue with this,” Mr Azad said, in a comment seen as cancelling Mr Gandhi’s remark and underlining the G-23’s resolve to effect real change.
A senior member of the G-23 told news agency ANI the gathering in J&K was a “message to Mr Gandhi”. “We will tell the country that from north to south, India is one,” he said.
Meanwhile, from the other side of the divide Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi responded to Saturday’s gathering by pointing out that with key elections around the corner, the dissenting leaders could have served the party better by working in the poll-bound states.
“When elections are happening in five states, these leaders could have been in these states to strengthen the Congress… the best contribution to the Congress cause is to engage in the five states (and) not within self,” he said, before offering an olive branch by saying the party was, nevertheless, “proud of them”.
“With the greatest of respect (and) on behalf of the Congress, each of those in Jammu are senior leaders. We are proud of them and so are they. We are a family,” he added.
In August last year a number of Congress leaders – Mr Sibal and Mr Azad among them – wrote a letter to interim Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, asking for introspection over continued poor performances in elections, and for “full time” and visible” leadership to take the party forward.
An irritated Mrs Gandhi offered to quit, immediately, before being persuaded to stay on for now.
In December Mrs Gandhi met the dissenters, and a roadmap of sorts was chalked out. Last month it was decided that a new Congress chief would be elected in June, after the forthcoming elections.
However, this was after the G-23’s call for immediate organisational polls was overruled.
“What is happening in Congress is a clear violation of agreement at CWC meeting in December last year… there are no signs of any reforms or election,” a senior G-23 leader told ANI.
Sources quoted by ANI said Congress leadership is aware of the G-23 leaders’ sentiments on this matter and is monitoring the situation, although it is “not in a hurry to come to any conclusion”.
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