‘Refrain from going public on internal issues’ Congress to Gulam Nabi Azad | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
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‘Refrain from going public on internal issues’ Congress to Gulam Nabi Azad

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By
Nov 24, 2020 04:10 AM IST

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said the Congress has an internal system to discuss all issues, including the results of the recent Bihar elections and bypolls, and Mr.Azad being a nominated member of the CWC can talk to anybody instead of speaking publicly

A day after Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said that a “five-star culture” has gripped his party and that its structure has collapsed, the Congress on Monday asked the “nominated” senior leaders to maintain discipline and refrain from going public on internal issues.

Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad .(HT file photo)
Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad .(HT file photo)

“The nominated senior leaders have access to the party leadership. Mr Azad is a CWC nominated member who can just pick up the phone and call anybody instead of speaking publicly,” Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said, addressing a virtual news conference.

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“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 (Congress Working Committee), nominated members since many years. They have also been ministers in governments and got different responsibilities in the party. They should maintain discipline and refrain from going public on internal issues,” he added.

Also Read | Dissent in Congress: From Adhir Chowdhury to Ghulam Nabi Azad, who said what

Azad said on Sunday that the Congress party’s structure has collapsed, and it needs to be rebuilt by having elected leaders from the block to the CWC level. He also said that there is a huge disconnect between the people and the Congress leaders and that a “five-star culture” has gripped the party.

Khera said the Congress has an internal system to discuss all issues, including the results of the recent Bihar elections and bypolls. “Last week, there was a meeting where the results of Bihar and other states were discussed in detail. Discussions do happen,” he said.

Khera said these leaders should also specify their stand on the organisational elections in the Youth Congress. “You cannot have separate yardsticks. You cannot say that internal elections are not good for the Youth Congress but good for the parent party,” he said.

The elections to the Youth Congress faced criticism for their failure to connect with the aspirational India in the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in which the Congress suffered its worst ever electoral drubbing. Questions were also raised over its outreach capabilities as it ceased to be the sword arm of the grand old party.

The rumblings come at a time when the party’s key troubleshooter, Ahmed Patel, is in Gurugram-based Medanta hospital after having tested positive for Covid-19.

Azad also came under attack from other Congress leaders, including Youth Congress president Srinivas BV, former Lok Sabha member Kuldeep Bishnoi, party spokesperson Gaurav Vallabh, and two former Haryana ministers Subhash Batra and Krishan Murti Hooda.

Bishnoi, who represents Adampur constituency in the Haryana assembly and is the younger son of former chief minister Bhajan Lal, accused Azad of “hatching a conspiracy” with political rivals to break the Congress and “betraying” the Gandhi family.

He appealed to Congress leaders and workers not to pay attention to “opportunist leaders” such as Azad.

“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,” Bishnoi said in a video message on his Twitter handle.

“What is your history? In entire life, you have won only three polls, two times Lok Sabha and one-time assembly. Are you talking against the Gandhi family which nominated you to Rajya Sabha on five occasions. I have won more elections than you, two Lok Sabha and four assembly, and I am still a sitting legislator,” Bishnoi said.

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