New Delhi: The Punjab crisis has once again brought to the fore the oldest party battle between Congress vs Congress.
Navjot Singh Sidhu’s promotion as Punjab Congress chief and his dramatic resignation from the post have not only thrown the state unit into trouble, but also left the party leadership embarrassed and struggling for answers.
The trouble in the Punjab Congress, which started with Sidhu’s relentless campaign against senior party leader and former chief minister Amarinder Singh, has now turned into a full-blown crisis, threatening to damage the party’s prospects in the assembly elections due early next year. Is.
The needless ouster of Amarinder Singh and the installation of Dalit Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi have not helped in resolving the infighting in the Punjab unit.
And on Wednesday, a wave of distress in Punjab reached the national capital as senior leaders traded barbs.
The differences took a serious turn today when some Congress workers staged a protest outside the senior leader’s residence. Kapil Sibal, who questioned the decisions taken by the Congress leadership in Punjab.
Sibal held a press conference and wondered who was taking decisions in the party in the absence of a full-time president.
Taking a dig at the leadership, the Congress leader said, “In our party, there is no president, so we don’t know who is taking these decisions. We know and yet we don’t know.”
Sibal, who has been vocal about the leadership crisis in the party, said, “We are not ‘Ji Huzoor 23’. It’s quite clear. We will keep talking. We will keep repeating our demands.
“We (G-23 leaders) will not leave the party and go anywhere. It is ironic. Those who were close to them (party leadership) have gone and those they do not consider close are still standing with them,” Sibal said. said.
Sibal is part of the G23 (Group of 23) leaders who last year raised the flag of rebellion against the leadership and wrote to Sonia Gandhi demanding a complete overhaul in the organization and a visible leadership on the ground.
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is currently leading the ’23 leaders’ group, also swung into action and wrote to Sonia Gandhi to discuss the current situation in the organization with the Congress Working Committee (CWC). demanded an immediate meeting.
Sources said Azad, a former Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, sought an internal discussion in the wake of the exodus of his leaders.
on the radar of G23 Leader The former president of the party is Rahul Gandhi, who along with Priyanka was instrumental in choosing Sidhu over Amarinder.
Amarinder, who had to resign as Punjab chief minister for his relentless campaign against Sidhu, has already called the Gandhi siblings “inexperienced”.
Congress workers protest outside Sibal’s house
Kapil Sibal’s remarks drew strong reactions from Congress workers, who staged a protest outside his house.
Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) workers held placards ‘Get Well Soon Kapil Sibal’ and raised slogans against Sibal, saying they were “hurt” by his remarks.
The protesters raised slogans against Sibal and asked him to “quit the party”.
Several leaders also hit out at Sibal for what he said was questioning the leadership from which he had “benefited” earlier.
Youth Congress President Srinivas Biwi said on Twitter, ‘Listen ‘ji-huzoor’ :- The ‘President’ and ‘Leadership’ of the party are the same, who always ensured your entry in Parliament, made you ‘Minister’ during good party When in opposition, ensured your entry in Rajya Sabha, always rewarded with responsibilities in good and bad times. And when the ‘time’ of struggle came, then…”
Congress general secretary Ajay Maken and Chhattisgarh minister TS Singhdeo hit out at Sibal for his remarks.
Maken alleged that leaders like Sibal were demoralizing party workers standing with the ideology of Congress.
He said that the current Congress President Sonia Gandhi made him a Union Minister, though he had no organizational background and experience.
“My appeal to Mr. Sibal and others like him is not to malign the organization which has given him a political identity,” Maken said.
“Such remarks by leaders like Sibal, who have got everything from organization and leadership, demoralize party workers and common workers, who stand by the ideology of Congress and fight fundamentalist and fascist forces on the streets,” he said. are.
Delhi Congress leader Alka Lamba also hit out at Sibal, alleging that she kept requesting him to come to Chandni Chowk and campaign in the 2020 assembly elections but he did not turn up.
The workers, whom Sibal called for a meeting at his house before the election, joined the Aam Aadmi Party the next day… Will the Congress run on the strength of these people? Lamba said on Twitter.
With Sidhu in no mood to bow down and the crisis in Punjab not ending soon, the Congress leadership will be faced with tough questions not only from the opposition but also from disgruntled leaders within.
And with the ousted Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder likely to join the BJP, especially after his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress crisis Managers have a tough job on their hands.
(with inputs from agencies)
Navjot Singh Sidhu’s promotion as Punjab Congress chief and his dramatic resignation from the post have not only thrown the state unit into trouble, but also left the party leadership embarrassed and struggling for answers.
The trouble in the Punjab Congress, which started with Sidhu’s relentless campaign against senior party leader and former chief minister Amarinder Singh, has now turned into a full-blown crisis, threatening to damage the party’s prospects in the assembly elections due early next year. Is.
The needless ouster of Amarinder Singh and the installation of Dalit Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi have not helped in resolving the infighting in the Punjab unit.
And on Wednesday, a wave of distress in Punjab reached the national capital as senior leaders traded barbs.
The differences took a serious turn today when some Congress workers staged a protest outside the senior leader’s residence. Kapil Sibal, who questioned the decisions taken by the Congress leadership in Punjab.
Sibal held a press conference and wondered who was taking decisions in the party in the absence of a full-time president.
Taking a dig at the leadership, the Congress leader said, “In our party, there is no president, so we don’t know who is taking these decisions. We know and yet we don’t know.”
Sibal, who has been vocal about the leadership crisis in the party, said, “We are not ‘Ji Huzoor 23’. It’s quite clear. We will keep talking. We will keep repeating our demands.
“We (G-23 leaders) will not leave the party and go anywhere. It is ironic. Those who were close to them (party leadership) have gone and those they do not consider close are still standing with them,” Sibal said. said.
Sibal is part of the G23 (Group of 23) leaders who last year raised the flag of rebellion against the leadership and wrote to Sonia Gandhi demanding a complete overhaul in the organization and a visible leadership on the ground.
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is currently leading the ’23 leaders’ group, also swung into action and wrote to Sonia Gandhi to discuss the current situation in the organization with the Congress Working Committee (CWC). demanded an immediate meeting.
Sources said Azad, a former Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, sought an internal discussion in the wake of the exodus of his leaders.
on the radar of G23 Leader The former president of the party is Rahul Gandhi, who along with Priyanka was instrumental in choosing Sidhu over Amarinder.
Amarinder, who had to resign as Punjab chief minister for his relentless campaign against Sidhu, has already called the Gandhi siblings “inexperienced”.
Congress workers protest outside Sibal’s house
Kapil Sibal’s remarks drew strong reactions from Congress workers, who staged a protest outside his house.
Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) workers held placards ‘Get Well Soon Kapil Sibal’ and raised slogans against Sibal, saying they were “hurt” by his remarks.
The protesters raised slogans against Sibal and asked him to “quit the party”.
Several leaders also hit out at Sibal for what he said was questioning the leadership from which he had “benefited” earlier.
Youth Congress President Srinivas Biwi said on Twitter, ‘Listen ‘ji-huzoor’ :- The ‘President’ and ‘Leadership’ of the party are the same, who always ensured your entry in Parliament, made you ‘Minister’ during good party When in opposition, ensured your entry in Rajya Sabha, always rewarded with responsibilities in good and bad times. And when the ‘time’ of struggle came, then…”
Congress general secretary Ajay Maken and Chhattisgarh minister TS Singhdeo hit out at Sibal for his remarks.
Maken alleged that leaders like Sibal were demoralizing party workers standing with the ideology of Congress.
He said that the current Congress President Sonia Gandhi made him a Union Minister, though he had no organizational background and experience.
“My appeal to Mr. Sibal and others like him is not to malign the organization which has given him a political identity,” Maken said.
“Such remarks by leaders like Sibal, who have got everything from organization and leadership, demoralize party workers and common workers, who stand by the ideology of Congress and fight fundamentalist and fascist forces on the streets,” he said. are.
Delhi Congress leader Alka Lamba also hit out at Sibal, alleging that she kept requesting him to come to Chandni Chowk and campaign in the 2020 assembly elections but he did not turn up.
The workers, whom Sibal called for a meeting at his house before the election, joined the Aam Aadmi Party the next day… Will the Congress run on the strength of these people? Lamba said on Twitter.
With Sidhu in no mood to bow down and the crisis in Punjab not ending soon, the Congress leadership will be faced with tough questions not only from the opposition but also from disgruntled leaders within.
And with the ousted Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder likely to join the BJP, especially after his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress crisis Managers have a tough job on their hands.
(with inputs from agencies)
.