Congress's Digvijaya Singh stings Azad: ‘Which security guard of Rahul ji took…’
Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged that all senior and experienced leaders were sidelined by Rahul Gandhi and his coterie formed of “personal assistants and security guards.”
Former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's scathing criticism of Rahul Gandhi in his resignation letter caused much furore in the party. While Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh accused Azad of betraying Congress leadership by his “vicious personal attacks”, Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel alleged that the J&K leader was constantly trying to harm the party. (Also Read | Who is in Rahul Gandhi’s ‘coterie that runs Congress’)
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has now attacked his former party colleague over his claim that Sonia Gandhi was just a nominal head and all the major decisions were taken by "Rahul Gandhi or rather worse his security guards and PAs". Taking to Twitter, Singh asked Azad to name the personal assistant or security guard who decided to make him the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha.
“Ghulam Nabi ji bhai jaan, which PA or security personnel of Rahul ji took the decision to make you the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha?," Singh posted on Twitter in Hindi. "Tell us that too.”
Ghulam Nabi Azad was the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha for almost seven years before he was denied a seat in the Upper House after his tenure ended February 2021.
Rahul Gandhi was at the centre of Azad's criticism of the party and said that Congress has reached a point of "no return." While Azad praised Sonia Gandhi for playing "sterling role" in the formation of successive Congress-led coalition governments in 2004 and 2009, he said the entire consultative mechanism was demolished by Rahul Gandhi following his appointment as Congress vice president in January 2013.
"The entire organisational election process is a farce and a sham. At no place anywhere in the country have elections been held at any level of the organisation. Handpicked lieutenants of the AICC has been coerced to sign on lists prepared by the coterie that runs the AICC sitting in 24 Akbar Road," Azad wrote.
He further wrote, "Since the 2019 elections the situation in the party has only worsened. After. Rahul Gandhi stepped down in a 'huff' and not before insulting all the senior Party functionaries who have given their lives to the party in a meeting of the extended Working Committee, you took over as interim President. A position that you have continue to hold even today for the past three years."