There was a controversy at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, which has been called to find a way to end the turmoil triggered by a letter from a group of Congress leaders. Reports quoted Rahul Gandhi as saying at the CWC that this was done in collusion with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
As soon as the reports surfaced, those who had raised the issues in the Congress - many of them senior party leaders - reacted in disbelief. One of them, Kapil Sibal, said he has never made a statement in favour of the BJP in the last 30 years. He also said that they have defended the party in many crises.
Another senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, also part of the group, offered to quit.
Congress soon got into damage control mode, with party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala clarifying that the reported remarks attributed to Rahul Gandhi are untrue.
After the clarification, Sibal said he is withdrawing his tweet.
The meeting of the CWC, Congress’ highest decision-making body, has been called after a group of 23 leaders wrote a letter to Sonia Gandhi earlier this month seeking an overhaul of the organisation.
Apart from Azad and Sibal, 21 other leaders were part of the group that wrote the letter on overhauling the Congress. AK Antony and other leaders who want Sonia Gandhi to continue called the letter unfortunate and cruel.
{{/usCountry}}Apart from Azad and Sibal, 21 other leaders were part of the group that wrote the letter on overhauling the Congress. AK Antony and other leaders who want Sonia Gandhi to continue called the letter unfortunate and cruel.
{{/usCountry}}Sonia Gandhi, meanwhile, remained adamant on quitting as Congress president. In her opening remarks at the meeting, Gandhi made the offer to quit saying she had given a detailed reply on the issue to AICC general secretary K C Venugopal.
She also handed over a detailed reply to Venugopal, who read out its contents.
“A year has lapsed now. In the interest of the party, I ask CWC to begin deliberations to put in a place of process of transition to relieve me from my duties,” she said at the meeting.
The crucial meeting of the CWC started in New Delhi amid divisions in the party over the leadership issue.
The party is divided on the leadership matter with a section demanding collective leadership and another reposing faith in the Gandhi family.